Saturday, February 26, 2011

Copy Cat

our life documented by Kathy Crouse:
thanks Kath for always having your camera handy























January Fun and the New Place

the girls have LOVED being able to play outside.  Lance was kind enough to set lunch up on the back porch for them.  We have had so many beautiful sunny days.

the fort

my sweet kams

the new place.  It's just the perfect size for us now (and hopefully for the full two years we will be here).



I had to include the "studio".  Really it's Syd's room with a piano and desk included.  She doesn't mind though, she loves to play on the piano.

Baking

Gluten Free Goodness 
Inspired by Pani Popo, these Chocolate Cupcakes are infused with coconut milk and topped with coconut cream cheese frosting and toasted almonds--YUMMY!






Carter's Birthday Cake
chocolate/chocolate pokeman cake

Kathy's birthday cake:  lemon poppyseed cake with strawberries/jam and white chocolate frosting

Christmas at the Crouse House




Christmas Day







Christmas Eve

Traditional Christmas Eve Chinese Food Dinner (one of my all time favorite traditions!)


Eric entertaining the kids while we cook.  (sorry for the butt shot)

Isn't Alexa so grown up?


Tricia reading to the girls

Goodbye/Hello

G with her preschool teacher, Mrs. Fleck

Such a bittersweet experience for us to leave Portland, OR!  We couldn't have had better weather for loading our truck.  The rains came down just as the boys finished, and we prayed and prayed our stuff would stay dry as we tried to get Lance checked out of school.  What an ordeal that was!  After MANY DAYS of trying to get all the necessary paperwork, and signatures, Lance was able to get checked out just in time to leave as we had planned (BARELY though).  Thank goodness I was already in AZ and not there to stress over that part!  Lance and Dave drove the 26-ish hours straight through and we were able to get TONS of help unloading us at our new house.  We have really enjoyed being here.  It still seems like a dream (come true)!  Sometimes I still look around and smile.  We are so happy here!  We LOVE being so close to ALL of our family members!

The Doctor is In


We are so proud of you, Dr. Mollenhauer!



Thursday, December 9, 2010

When it rains, it pours. volume 12

Well it seems as if I write nearly the same post once a quarter or so.  It has happened again.  We have been blessed beyond measure.  If I don't laugh about it I will certainly break down and cry (but to tell the truth I'll probably do both).  Here's what we are looking at.

-finding a house in AZ (lots of rentals on the market, but most would be gone 24-48 hours after posting. making it extremely difficult even with several family members going to open houses for me. oh, but we did land a good one)
-figuring out how to start a business in AZ
-packing, packing, packing
-throw in a surgery (minor, but a big step back considering I can't lift for several weeks. oh, and I was down and drugged for a good 5 days too.  crazy to do right before we leave?  well, it was vital to my health, and with the uncertainty of insurance after we leave...totally necessary)
-while we are at it throw in 2 ER visits in the same week (making it impossible to ask friends for help)
-2 girls miserable with the croup and ear infection
-one other little girl a bit sad about leaving "her world"
-worrying if Lance will have enough clinic hours in to graduate (he will eventually, just will it be in time to move?)
-did I mention packing (while unpacking humidifiers and medicines numerous times)
-trying to say good bye and wrap up this chapter of our lives (enjoying/hating the last of everything)

Life is all up in the air and I feel as if we are barely surviving.  We seem to face trial after trial, without being able to take a breath in between.   I am trying to stay positive, although I do cry pretty much twelve times a day at the minimum, and I haven't had more than a 3 hour block of sleep for... days? weeks? I have faith we will be okay in the end, but it's getting there that is hard.

2 more days.  I can survive anything for 2 days, right?  I hope Lance can too!

p.s. prayers on our behalf are welcomed and encouraged at this point

Monday, November 8, 2010