Crombie Cards by Amy ...... NOW ONLINE!!!

http://mysite.verizon.net/res11d1r8/crombiecards/

100% OF THE PURCHASE PRICE IS CONTINUING TO GO
DIRECTLY TO "KAYLA'S CANCER".

TO READ HER STORY PLEASE VISIT:
http://kayla-w.com/

Beach Bums . . . . Saturday July 18th

Haystack Rock . . . it was gorgeous sunny & hot (little windy). The clouds arrived shortly after we did....but really didnt affect anything.

We have arrived!! Super low maintenance packing for this day trip. Each kid brought one toy. Elijah brought a lightweight bouncy ball. Nolan chose a wooden truck to haul sand in. Darla grabbed a giant empty ice cream bucket to build castles with & collect all their beachcombing finds in.

NOTE: We determined day trips to beach are way less work to prepare for then spontaneous camping up on the Mtn. More beach trips are in our very near future!

We only forgot: sunglasses. . . . I got a headache from squinting all day and Nolan forgot a sweatshirt.

And they are off! Running straight to the ocean w/ mama & papa joining them.

The ocean was not too cold at all. It was actually refreshing. Not the normal numb legs etc.,

Above shows the kids digging to find the water that lies beneath the sand that Papa told them about. They never found it - neither did Papa. It was actually hilarious because this other family down a little ways from us dug a hole so deep the dad could stand in it & it was up to his waist. The kids thought for sure they wouldve found water - - - -we peeked & NOPE! Our kids gave up at that point. haha

Nolan was annoyed that when he dug out an area for a moat around his castle & poured water into it . . . that the water would just dissapear soaked into the sand. He then turned almost all his interest into the SEAGULLS! He was fascinated with them & was determined to catch one.

Here below is our honey of a girl enjoying a moment alone with her loving papa . . . Sunset getting closer.

Nolan in one of Darla's shirts since he got his 2 shirts soaking wet. . . peaceful play. Elijah squinting like mama from the windy sand blowing about & the sun shining from the Horizon. We decided to enjoy the southern end of Seaside for the sunset.

$40 in gas rountrip, which included a ton of extra sight-seeing, new homestead dreaming in Mist, OR area . . . and our long daytrip to the beach was AWESOME!!!!

Payton had to work, unfortunately, but Alan, the 3 youngest & I played all day & night. We drove back after we watched the sunset.

While Payton & Papa at work.... we head to Trillium Lake

Only fifteen miles from our home lies this gorgeous trout-stocked lake . . . with magestic Mt Hood in the backdrop. I still insist we live in one of the most gorgeous areas. Oregon has it all: beaches, rolling farmlands & wineries, rich fertile valleys, mountains, forests, lakes, rivers, hoppin' cities, & deserts for people who like those types of things.

I am not used to this "new to us" camera.

A professional photographer actually asked to borrow our little spot to take up close photos of this family of ducks that were completely unphased by my busy kids playing alongside them. It grew a little annoying because my kids were waiting to resume playing. But patiently we waited & then he left us to our spot again.

So once we shooo-ed the duckies away I grabbed the only fishing pole we brought & cast out into the beautiful lake waters for Elijah . . . only to discover the reel/handle was broke. I had to manually wind the fishing line bobbin thing to retrieve the line. It took a while. I stood their puzzled about how it became dismantled & then Darla & Nolan ended the mystery. They both explained "What?! It wasnt broken. Before we left we were practicing fishing with it in the living room." Ah-hah...another item to join the pile on papa's work bench "to be repaired." Elijah was very bummed & had no interest in swimming in the lake like the other two kids. I promised to take him back soon, with a fully functioning fishing pole this time.

B is Boys & Basketball

Our boys & their never-ending love of the game . . . BASKETBALL

Dinner Beneath The Stars

Well some of the kids called it a garden party - some a starry night dinner . . . whatever you want to call it I suppose. . . .

Kids planned a random menu which I agreed to prepare for their special event:

Potatos like jo-jo's

Corn on the cob

Mellon Balls (cantelope)

Waldorf Salad (which Ive never made before)

The kids also had some huckleberries they picked inside a purple box which they munched on.

They set the table all by themselves, even brought out the food, & even dished the plates for Papa & Payton. Mama skipped this party, taking a bath & drinking tea.

Papa started a fire in the chiminea so they could also roast some fancy flavored marshmallows for dessert.

Darla's 1st Time Away From Home

What: 5 nights away at Camp!!

How: Darla's friend, Tierra. Tierra's grandparents treat all their grandkids each summer to Christian camp + each grandkid gets to select 1 friend to accompany them. Darla was the lucky girl chosen. What a blessing this is!

When: Sunday 7/5 - Friday 7/10

Where: Eagle Fern Youth Camp (I grew up right up the road from the place, never got to camp there myself, but worked/volunteered at the camp. So I knew Darla was going to have a blast!)

Darla was soooo excited to go (of course). Neither Darla nor Tierra were accustomed to being away from their parents overnight for so long....I think the mom's struggled the most. Cute story the camp counselor shared was Tierra was kindof crying at night missing her mama (the 1st night), and Darla climbed up to her bunk & whispered to her friend "Can I pray with you?". Darla prayed for her friend & it helped.

Some of Darla's favorite activities while at camp were horseback riding & rock climbing.

Their cabin had built in bunk beds that were 3 beds high. Tierra picked the very top & Darla was in the middle bunk. These were some super tall bunkbeds.

Sorry

Blog will be updated soon - promise. Have a camera now but have yet to upload any tpics o the computer. Been busy with many projects.

Arent my sisters beautiful?

Praise God Baby (niece) & Mama Healthy

Ultrasound taken today of my beautiful & HEALTHY niece-on-the-way:

My sister reports her & her baby are healthy! Thank you for the prayers!

Please Pray For Niece-On-The-Way

I have very little information but my sister Lena & husband Brian are expecting a baby girl in Oct-Nov & are asking for prayer. They are asking for prayer for their baby girl's health & no complications. They have another upcoming ultrasound to get more information. All was well but apparently something has happened to stir concern, so please please pray for God's divine protection of this baby girl & peace for the family as they await more information.

YES!!!! New Camera On Its Way...

Well new to us that is . . . . thank you Pa & Kris.
So maybe I can go back to blogging again, once we
have the camera.

Lots has been going on . . .

Most significantly is 26 year old Kayla went Home
to be with the Lord after a 5 week fight against cancer.
There is a big benefit auction dinner being held at the
Mt Hood Village on July 18th. This will help with medical
expenses & be a great time for fellowship as we all
remember Kayla. More details to follow later. PLEASE
CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR KAYLA'S HUSBAND SEAN.

Payton has been enjoying his job at Dairy Queen and has
been working a lot. He is looking forward to his 1st paycheck
on July 10th. He plans to put this towards his savings for
his 1st car.

Annual Crombie Campout is this 4th of July weekend out
at the farm (Alan's childhood home in Eagle Creek).

Darla will be leaving on Sunday July 5th returning Friday
July 10th from Camp - compliments of one of her best friends
Grandma who always treats her grandchildren + 1 of their
friends each year to Christian Summer Camp. What a blessing!
The girls will enjoy horseback riding & lots of fun. Please pray
for their safety.

Elijah has been busy watching lots of different basketball
documentaries & learning lots of new skills like Magic Johnson's
famouse behind the head pass, etc., The boys got their library
cards today & Elijah checked out a book on basketball skills.
(OF COURSE)

Nolan Ricky still probably loves riding his bike more than
anything. We were sooooo super proud of him this last week
because he was a big boy & stayed w/ his siblings at Vacation
Bible School (2 hrs ea. eve WITHOUT parents). This was a
huge accomplishment for our "Shy Boy" . . . who when we
would show up to pick him up was doing head stands & break
dancing during worship singing/dancing time. He cracks us up.

We need to take Payton driving more - he is eager to get
in all his hours.

I am going to start the Medifast diet again & have a new
partner/coach. She is a sweetie & has agreed to weigh me
once a week for accountability. Pray for my ability in making
this a priority.

The EHS 90 Reunion website is working quite well - lots
of feedback from alumni & continue to locate more & more
"lost" friends each day.

Alan is going to the beach tomorrow (Seaside) with his
siblings & some of the grandkids to scatter his mom's ashes
& have a memorial on her birthday July 1st. I cant join them
as I have to take Payton to & from work.

Busy summer days - not looking forward to Alan's 10%
paycut . . . . but grateful he still has a job when so many in
this economy do not.

Camp McNeil off LoloPass

Sites 10 & 12 is where the Mireles & Crombie family resided for a weekend. Gorgeous sunny weather. Cold night of partial sleep. Crombie site had stunning up close & personal Mt Hood View but the Mireles family scored on a blanket of stars in the sky at night, compared to the Crombie Kids only claiming to see 1 single star thru our skylight hole in our tent. 3 year old niece Lily loved her diamonds (which were gray rocks), 5 year old nephew Ethan kicked our butts in memory, son Nolan would not stay out of the marshmallows, almost 15 nephew Thomas is an amazing guitarist, Payton is a good sport for camping on a work night, Darla & nieces Alissa & April didnt hate their Uncle Alan when he had to fess up that "Snipe hunting" wasnt real . . . . that when they were all walking around in the dark clanging two rocks together to summon the furry clawless toothless creatures that there were really no such thing. . . . Elijah was deeply disturbed over it - he was looking forward to his 1st time hunting. Shawna is the Queen Camp Chef. . . . who made her man steak on the open fire & a full course breakfast in the morning. . . compared to her Aunt Amy who handed her kids string cheese & granola bars. Elijah & Austin were kings of finding camp wood, and made cute wooden stick boats to float down the river. Amy tore her jeans while scaling a giant log w/ millions of pokey things sticking out. Camping trip #1 of Summer 2009:
Weather - ideal but need air mattresses & more sleeping bags at night.
Location - great, $14, but next time prefer sml creek site instead of the river.
Note - Sounded like beach at night w/ light wind & river rapids.
Challenge - Amy try & enjoy camp cooking more like Shawna

Legend dies today

Only 50 years old . . . Michael Jackson reportedly passes away after having a heart attack. I grew up with him as a famous singer. Our family owned this album "Thriller" and the spooky music video - which was more like a mini-movie was popular in our house. I remember having a slight crush on MJ during the movie theatre scene. Him & his girlfriend were smacking on popcorn & he was cute, before he turned into the weird zombie dude. My most prominent memory of Michael Jackson was when one of us girls got the tape cassette. We had a slumber party at Ann Maries & the next day we walked the 13 mile George Loop blasting the tape on a lil' boom box. I remember distinctly dancing to PYT (Pretty Young Thing) while on our way to walking the 1st overnight guest home, Nishka. In recent years I had missed the old Michael Jackson. . . . not sure what happened with all the skin lightening & surgeries. Sad he couldnt love himself for the way he was born. Well farewell Michael Jackson - I pray for those closest to you. Your legend will live on.

Book recommendation

The Busy Mom's Guide to Simple Living
by Jackie Wellwood

In this senstitive yet sensible volume, Jackie Wellwood offers creative and practical ideas for freeing your time and resources, establishing the priorities God wants you to have, and making more room in your life for what really matters. Her understanding approach - full of homespun wisdom and anecdotes, and the shared frustrations of being a woman in the 90's - will encourage you to look at your family's lifestyle and then begin to make simple changes. One at a time.

New Websites

Well we are all geared up & planning our 20th Estacada High School Reunion. I created a website, which will help serve as a central hub of information. Also a great way for anyone to make suggestions, volunteer, etc.,

Here is a link for curious minds that just gotta know:
http://mysite.verizon.net/res11d1r8/

I also have created a very simple website for my "Crombie Cards by Amy" but am waiting to be able to upload samples of my creations. Once it has product samples available I will publish the sight for all to see. If all goes as planned clients will be able to make purchases online. My one-of-a-kind Childrens Party Invitation Packs have always been popular. I strive to use recycled products in my cards . . . real big on the whole reuse & recycle idea.

In the mean time my "Crombie Cards by Amy" can be found at Mountain View Video up here in Welches, Oregon at the Hoodland Shopping Center. 100% of the purchase price of my handmade greeting cards goes towards my friend Kayla's Fight Against Cancer. These cards are for sale by donation. Suggestion minimum donation is $3.00, but not required. We all know someone who has a birthday, wedding, baby shower, or anniversary coming up! Give the gift of a personalize one of a kind card.

Happy Papa's Day

I am so blessed and grateful.
I have the best father any daughter
could wish for.

Miss the digital camera :-(

Havent had a chance to take to repairman in Gresham. Hoping to have time tomorrow late afternoon. I have had to inconvenience others at Elijah's kindergarden graduation, Darla's softball tournament, and the boys basketball trophey moment....to snap a pic for me. Waiting to receive them. This is not a comfortable position for a scrapbookaholic/blogaholic. Heehee.

Drum Roll . . . . .

Brian & Lena are expecting a DAUGHTER! Yep, Lennon will have a beautiful baby sister! Darla will at last have a girl cousin on the Gaskell side of the family. We are all so excited. So I believe Lena is approx 17 wks along due around Thanksgiving time?! Lena is supposed to me emailing me a photo of my niece-on-the-way's "going home outfit" which they picked out today after the ultrasound appointment. She said it is adorable & white w/ pink & a lamb on the gown. Ahhh so happy for the Wright household. Now if I can only contribe a plan to get them to relocate to Oregon. heehee

YES!!!! I was right!

Well my hopes, suspicions were right!

My sister Lena called to share the ultrasound news . . . .

the sex of my niece/nephew. She had offered to bless me

with being the first to know, aside from her husband & son

of course. And blessed I am - but my lips are sealed until

late tonight. The Wright family will be sharing their exciting

news with the rest of the family this evening, then I can blab

all I want. Another baby to love - happy happy joy joy.

Payton Got His Permit!!!

YEAH!!! So he passed the test today.
Good job Payton James. Will scan copy of his permit picture & post later.

Way to go Payton!

Jobs for teens up here on the Mtn are few & far behind but Payton managed to land one of them today at his interview. He starts on Monday & they plan to give him lots of hours. Way to go Payton! All in the name of "saving for his first car".

A prayer . . . . and link to check out.

God,
I know we arent designed to know & understand it all
but I hurt so much over the news of a beautiful 26 year
old Christian married woman who has late stage cancer.
She was having odd symptoms & had hoped her & her
high school sweetheart were expecting their 1st baby
perhaps but instead learned she has a rare form of
cancer called Cholangiocarcinoma. Lord, the statistics
arent really in her favor regarding the amount of time
here on earth she probably has. I know you are the Master
Healer though, and I pray if it is your will Jesus that you
would please heal Kayla. Please give her & Sean time to
raise a small family. They would be raising them up in you
Lord. You will of course receive all the praise & glory for
her health. PLEASE Lord. . . . we just lost another wonderful
woman up here on the mountain ( mid 40's) to cancer a
year ago. And I lost a friend in her 50's just two months ago
to ugly cancer. This is so hard to accept, and so confusing. I dont
understand why the cancer doesnt strike me, (who praise be
to YOU) - I have married the love of my life and have 4 kids.
Why is it not me, why Kayla Lord? She is only 26 - I at least
have been blessed & have enjoyed 37 years Lord. My heart
hurts. I come to you for strength & wisdom. Please use me
as you will to help this young couple Lord. Thank you for
my life Lord. I am one grateful woman! Love you, Amy

http://www.kayla-w.com/

Welcome to Dairy Queen . . .

May I take your order please?

Payton has an interview at the only "fast food" establishment up here on the Mtn..."Dairy Queen" on Thursday this week. Hopefully his start date will follow soon after. Then all that is left is coordinating his 2 week summer school with his work schedule. He has a math class to take during summer school this year. He also plans to go in & try for the 2nd time on his permit. Last time he missed passing the test by 1 question.

Basketball is his life....no exaggeration

Elijah just finished his basketball season this past weekend & received his 1st trophey. This boy of ours lives, eats, breathes basketball. Grandpa Ricky gave him a bunch of VHS specials on Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, & Larry Bird and the boy has watched them all multiple times. He has already incorporated one of Magic's infamous behind the head passes into his game. Elijah recently was grounded from his loved sport for one week for some behavior hickups. We needed to remind him that people are more important than that game & the way you treat people. His biggest worry during the grounding was "I might not get into the NBA because Im not practicing." He is 100% serious about this sport. This passion started as a baby. When grandparents would ask for gift ideas for Elijah . . . . all we could say was "Balls"......that is all he wanted to play with. We are interested to see where his commitment & passion for this game takes him.

"I'm A Little Bit Shy"

Half way thru the basketball season Elijah's coach asked Nolan if he would like to join the team. To our suprise Nolan said yes. Nolan worked very hard during practice, and did play in a couple (i think 3) games for a matter of a couple minutes, maybe seconds. He said he was too shy to guard anyone. Yet when he was on defense he was stuck to them like glue. He would get so consumed by it - he would still be defending when on offense as well. He was one of the teams best dribblers even. His big brother was good to him & would pass him the ball. We are very proud of our Nolan Ricky. He is a fast runner and was swimming in the oversized orange volleyball shirt (the only orange uniform shirt still available). . . . but he wore it with pride. Way to go Nolan! Will be interesting to see if he asks to play next year.

Nolan received his 1st trophey this weekend after they played their last game. He slept with it, and keeps showing it to anyone who will look at it. Photos to follow soon (our camera broke).

Hey Batter Batter!!!!

Darla completed her 1st season of softball this weekend with a wild tournament. She loved loved loved learning this game! She was blessed with a wonderful & encouraging team (shown above). All these girls have been playing together since T-Ball, except Tegan & Darla. They embraced the newcomers with open arms. The Coaches rocked & so did all the cheering parents on the sidelines. She looks forward to playing again next year.

Note from Darla's Coach: Hey Darla, just wanted to tell you how great you did this softball season. You really worked hard & improved a ton! I sure hope you play again next year! I was very honored to have you on the team and am proud to call you one of my "Blue Bombers"! Have a great summer, we would love to have you over sometime!

It is cancer!

Cancer sucks.
So local friend, who is only 26, has had it confirmed that yes all the tumors found throughout her body are cancer. Prayer needed PLEASE. She begins radiation today & chemo in a week.

Camera repairman?

Ooops the button you push to turn on/off Payton's digital camera is stuck in the on position.
We have tried common sense approaches to dislodging it, but gonna have to "outsource" this repair Im afraid.

Blog hasnt had any updates because of this "temporarily out of service" camera situation.

Enjoy the gorgeous sunshine all, and the kids last days of school & sports.

Roslyn Lake errrr I mean "Meadow"

Roslyn Lake in Sandy was a lake for over 90 years . . . . enjoyed by the generations.

Our son Nolan enjoyed his 3rd birthday party here at this exact spot 2 summers ago (shown above). We took photos of the large group of kids on the steps of this adorable old cabin (shown below). In fact because of the wind that day, we had to carry his birthday cake to the backside of the cabin & that is where we sang to him & he blew his candles out on the back porch.

The kids gobbled blue cake & raced off to play more "tug of war" (shown below):A year ago (See May 2008 section) I posted pics from the drained Roslyn Lake . . . . we were so sad to see it go. Beautiful Roslyn became a big brown stinky mud bowl.

Well we had been hearing that the empty lake was slowly filling in with plant life. We need to take a drive to see for ourselves, but I did locate this recent photo online of "Roslyn Meadow":

Congrats to My Sister Lena & Family

Adorable Husband & Wife

Lena & Brian
enjoying wedding anniversary:

Their Son / My Adorable Nephew Lennon:

Their baby-on-the-way /

Lennons sibling /

My Sweet New Nephew or Niece: