Discoveries

We've been digging into our yard. It's been so fun to see what all is there!

New things keep popping up and blooming each week.

Recently we tore out a bunch of boxwood bushes.

We're hoping to put a garden in where they were.

Steve's been hard at work troubleshooting chainsaws and rototillers.

I couldn't resist clipping a few of the lilac blossoms from around the yard for my table.

Some bleeding hearts appeared at the back of the yard.

I keep praying Bigsby won't tear the plant to pieces.

It's so beautiful, and I'm so thankful for the blessing of our home!

We've had a lot of fun having some friends from church over for a movie night.

We're very excited for the Lord to use our home as a place for ministry.

If you're ever in the neighborhood, please stop by!

We'd love to see you, especially Bigsby!

Bigsby Jones Hornaday

Seven to Ten

7 Weeks....

Bigsby was small when he became part of our family.

Maybe too tiny, but he was the chunkiest of the litter.

We chose his name because...

* Kari wanted a cute name.

* He's an English Yellow Labrador Retriever.

* Bigsby sounded like a proper British name to Kari.

* Steve wanted a geeky name.

* Biggs was a character from Final Fantasy, one of Steve's favorite video game series.
* Biggs is also the sidekick of Wedge on Star Wars.

Bigsby got kind of sick around 7 weeks. 

He had tummy troubles, and we wound up at the vet.

Boiled Chicken. Chicken Broth. Rice. 

----Every----2----Hours----

24/7

He got much better after a week of that.

We felt much worse.

Gradually started him on kibbles and water.

He packed on the pounds!

From 7 to 10 lbs in one week!

8 Weeks...

He still had his baby fat!

Eight weeks was a big week!

He was so energetic, and was finding out how big his yard really is!

He started shredding sticks, leaves, and seed pods on the nice, clean carpet...

9 Weeks...

We started seeing brown eyes!

By nine weeks, Biggs could obey the commands "Sit", "Down", and "Come".
He's a very smart dog...

It worries me.

We finally started moving stuff into the yard.

The patio swing, for example.

It's taken us longer than expected to hang the swing.

He has claimed it as his lounging and "debris shredding" area.

Biggs will respond one of two ways (I'm guessing) when we put it up:

1. He'll wander around plopping discontentedly in different grassy areas.
2. He'll claw, chew, and clamber until he can get on it.

I'm hoping for #1.

10 Weeks...

As I was driving home from Potluck Sunday at church, my phone rings.

My sick husband (not sounding so sick) declares, "I have AMAZING news!!"

Hmm... 

I know he isn't pregnant...

"I taught Biggs how to shake!! He's soo smart! You're such a GOOD DOG, Biggs!!"

We're currently half-way through week ten.

He's now 13 lbs of rough and tumble.

Biggs keeps bringing more stuff onto the deck and into the house.

Grass. Moss. Dandelions. Leaves. Sticks. Seed pods. Centipedes.

So gross... 

He has recently tapped into a new energy reserve we didn't know he possessed.

He runs.

And runs.

And runs some more.

All of that energy is usually paired with plenty of

growling

   yelping

    

        whining

     

              barking

And oh yes...

Biting.

It's toothing terror in our house.

Please! 

Drop by for a nibble... 

;)

One more funny thing:

Biggs learned how to go up the stairs to our bedroom (and his kennel).

He can't get down the steep stairs.

He gets stuck.

A lot.

We laugh, and yell "treat" as he growls and flips and hops.

So mad!

Many more stories and photos to come...

Have a great week!

Honey Whipped Cream

If you're looking for alternatives to refined sugar, honey whipped cream  is delicious.

Whip 1.5 cups of heavy cream with 5 tablespoons of raw honey and a dash of vanilla until it thickens into a creamy consistency.

It may still be a little runny, but it will set after a few minutes.

I used it on fruit last night. So good! Frozen overnight, it's just like store-bought without the "bad" sugar.

I'm looking forward to trying it with some different extracts. {Lemon, orange, or maybe almond?}

Happy healthy snacking!

On the move...

Well, Hello there! It's been awhile...

There have been a lot of changes in our lives lately.

Spring is coming to the valley!
January 2012

Kari's temporary job with the Humane Society thrift store came to an end in Mid-January. Steve's been very busy working and helping with our home business. He shares his market knowledge so we can keep our eBay business going at home. Kari is also considering a potential part-time job. If the Lord wants it to happen, it will, in His time and His way. That's the biggest lesson we've been learning this year. God has been so good to us! His love and providence never fails.

We've been sponsoring a little boy from Peru over the last couple of years. It has been so fun to see him grow through letters from family members and World Vision workers, and through his own little drawings and photos. He will be five years old in April! We're so happy to be a part of his life, and to have the blessing of encouraging his spiritual growth and knowledge of his Heavenly Father and the love God has for him and his family. We're sending him some stickers and a little plastic harmonica. He loves to dance and play soccer, so we're hoping the soccer stickers and harmonica bring great joy to him, his family, and his friends.

World Vision provides education for Peruvian families.
Photo from World Vision.

If you're looking for a simple and rewarding way to financially contribute to a good cause with an eternal impact, please consider supporting a child and building a relationship with them through World Vision. What a fantastic organization to partner with! For only $35 a month (the cost of eating at a nice restaurant, getting a haircut, or half a tank of gas) you can bring nutritious food, clothing and medication, education, and the gospel to a family in need. We'd love to share more about our experience with Adrian and World Vision, if you're interested.

Our biggest news so far this year is that we've been in the process of purchasing a sweet little home! We can't wait to close on the deal and have the keys so we can take you on a tour once we've settled in a bit. We're very excited to post about our work on the house. It's in pretty great shape to begin with, but we definitely have our own designs to make it our own. Very thrilled about it all. God is such an amazing heavenly father.

Beautiful view of the lower North Falls.
Silver Falls State Park, Oregon.
February 2012

We'll try to keep you posted much better about our daily lives, the big events, the house, and our ministry at church with the young adults and women's ministry.

As always, we love to have company! Let us know if you're going to be in the area!

 ~ Kari & Steve ~

Christmas Wish List

7 Wonders Board Game... Soft snuggly pj's... A puppy!

Isn't it funny to think back on what our childhood wish lists contained? Or to even reflect on what lies scribbled in bullet-point form this December? Thinking on what I really want for Christmas this evening, it dawned on me that the things I want most are not things that can be purchased or gift wrapped. Remember that song that goes, "This is my grown-up Christmas list..."?

Here's mine:

• Patience
• Trust in God
• Motivation
• Transcendent Peace

What are you wishing for this holiday season?

Watch Amy Grant sing "Grown Up Christmas List" on YouTube.

Work, Vinyls, and Neighbors

What a great day! I'm amazed at how much God blesses us.

Took a new approach to my morning workout. I try to walk the entire perimeter of a nearby park each morning. The "try" is in the getting there, not in making it all the way around. =) My new approach was to pray for my entire family as well as others I've committed to pray for and anyone who popped into my mind. I can't believe how quickly my walk went by! I have a hard time thinking in a straight line, so I usually mouth the words to myself. I may have been tagged a weirdo by a few, but I don't care. It was so inspiring!

I worked a few hours at the thrift store today. I really like my new job. There are some shady characters, but most customers are really nice. Thank you for praying for me and encouraging me. I love seeing Steve light up when I talk about work. I think this job has been even more of a blessing to him than it has been to me. He loves seeing me energetic, and the financial blessing has been a big stress reliever.

Today my supervisor said, "You're doing a great job! I'm so glad you know QuickBooks!" I do? I do! haha They also decided to have me work full shifts on the days I'm there. So awesome! I'm still able to make it to church on Sunday mornings and Sunday/Wednesday evenings. I will even be able to continue teaching the monthly women's bible study as well, as long as I'm not needed on Saturdays. *jaw drop* Still in awe of God's work in our lives. His ways are perfect. Trust Him!

After work, I decided to dig through the vinyl records they have. Two cool finds! Huey Lewis & The News' "Fore!" and John Denver & The Muppets' "A Christmas Together". How fun is that??

Steve and I are still figuring out the two-job communication trick. After missing each other at lunch, we were able to get ourselves straightened out enough to grab a Pepsi together. I cherish those silly little moments. =) Steve was in a state of shock the other night when he realized we've already made it three-quarters of the way through our fourth year of marriage. What?!? Where did all of that time go?

While walking up the sidewalk to our apartment, my neighbor waved me over and handed me a hot bowl of chicken casserole. I had just been planning to make a sandwich. Such a great surprise on a chilly, dark evening. Thanks, Jamie!

Also, a thank-you to my sister-in-law, Patty, for being such an encouragement and helping me stay accountable with working out and staying healthy! She's amazing!

So, so, so very thankful for my life. And my amazing friends. And my incredible Savior, Jesus Christ. This is the good life.

Life @ 27

For the 27th time, Steve and I are the same age again for another six months. November 4th was my birthday. It was the best birthday I've had since moving to Oregon in the summer of 2008. I think I had my almost-mid-life crisis on my 26th birthday. I spent the night crying about how old I was and how many goals I had failed to accomplish. This year was different. Thank the Lord!

Aside from the natural event of aging, a lot has changed. God opened the door for me to move from volunteer status at the humane society to part-time employee. The hours are few, but the schedule is fantastic. It is a temporary position, and it's a great jumping-off point for a job hunt for a more permanent job.

As long as I can remember, I've struggled with anxiety and panic attacks. As a child, I just figured it was normal not wanting to be away from home or family. As an adult, I know it's not normal, and it's been worse over the last two years. Hearing about my nephew choosing a "life verse" at school really challenged me to also take God's Word to heart and truly live by it. This is the verse that's really touched me:

From my distress I called upon the LORD; 

The LORD answered me and set me in a large place. 

The LORD is for me; I will not fear; 

What can man do to me? 

Psalm 118:5-6 NASB

It's been an incredible week of gratitude for me. I started a Thanksgiving Journal just before my birthday. Every night before bed, I write down even the tiniest things I'm grateful for from the day. It has changed my perspective so much. I have been able to look back over all the days of depression and disappointment and see the larger steps of success I've made over the past year.

I had set forth a plan a year or more ago to slowly work through my anxiety to regain where I had been before I went through everything with my thyroid the first year of my marriage.

Goals I've achieved:

* Get In Shape - I'm not the shape I want to be yet, but I've been working out at least 20 minutes a day at least 3 days a week. I feel much healthier. I don't experience debilitating cramps in my legs or back anymore. It's awesome to feel the "good hurt" of exercising and challenging my mind and body.

* Volunteer  - I completed volunteering at the local humane society for 17 months. It was amazing.

* Get a Job - I finished my first paid day working at the local humane society as a PT/On-Call Sales Associate. It's a temporary position that ends in March 2012, but I'm honestly grateful for the amazing answer to prayer. I couldn't imagine getting a better schedule in a part-time retail position. Sundays off so I can be in church. Finished by 6:30pm every evening so I can still attend bible study and have evenings with Steve. Never start before 9am so I have time in the mornings to workout and work on our eBay business from home.

Those are a few of the big ones. I'm praying that the achievement of these personal goals will help Steve and I sooner reach our bigger goals of owning a home, having children, and being the forever home of a fluffy puppy. =) Yes, having a puppy is on our big goal list. haha

Until next time...