Hawaiian Licenses Plate

Did you ever play the license plate game?

When we were kids and we'd take a long car trip, to Wisconsin, or DC or Gettysburg, we would get out a notebook and keep track of all of the license plates we saw. I really don't remember ever coming up with an overly large list. I remember being frustrated - probably on our trips to Wisconsin, through Canada- frustrated with the number of non-US plates we'd find. Never being that great at Canadian geography, Canadian plates did not thrill me.

As I mentioned before, when Liz and I hit the road for our Great Western Trek to Nebraska and back, we made ALL SORTS of lists. I really think our License Plate list was my favorite. Maybe it was because we are now two competitive adults, riding in the front seat, needing to pay attention to the road and the other cars on it.... but...

WE ROCKED THE LICENSE PLATE GAME!!!!

At the end of our 10 days, we had seen 46 US states, 5 Canadian Provinces and 1 Mexican State (Chihuahua).

The only states we didn't see were Hawaii, Rhode Island, Delaware and Kentucky.

By the time we got home, I would find myself obsessively checking plates in parking lots and tailgating to see what plate just passed me. At one point, I think it was on our last day - the 12+ hour drive- I even walked past a guy at a rest area and turned around to look at his back and see where he was from. Did I mention that was the longest day in the car???

So yesterday, on my way to church, wouldn't you know it?? I finally saw a Hawaiian license plate. Not sure if it made me feel victorious or defeated.

Oh what's in a name?

Why is naming a baby such a big deal?

Some parent have names that they have always "liked" and so they will find something that suit them as a couple and go with that. Maybe they choose to honor a beloved friend or family member. Maybe it is to memorialize someone that they idolize or respect. Maybe there are other reasons parents might have for choosing names, but for me, it's different still.

I firmly believe that names are prophetic. Each time a child's name is spoken, there are certain qualities and characteristics that are being encouraged in that person. The name of God has a place of such reverence that keeping HIS name holy makes the top ten list.

As a first time parent considering the name for our oldest, Noah, wasn't so seemingly serious. Nor was the naming of our second child, Hannah. I believe that we were guided to the right names for them. And by the time our third, Zakeaus, came around, I really started to see that choosing the right name can make a world of difference. We also prayed about the names for Zakeaus and Madgalyn, and I also know we were guided to their names as well, but there came a new awareness of meaning as well.

Noah, was a name that both my husband and I were drawn to separately. So when we discussed it and both thought "Noah", well that decided it! In addition to the wonderful example of faith that we see in the biblical character of Noah, we came to learn later that "Noah" means rest. And oddly enough, Noah was known for sleeping a LOT of an infant. Even now, at the age of 7, I ask him to lay down for a rest at least a couple of days a week, and it is not unusual to have him enjoy 2 hour naps or longer. And he does have a wonderful faith for a child his age, that brings encouragement to his family and his friends.

Hannah means "favor" or "grace", both of which our daughter is full of. Her middle name is Elizabeth, for my sister. Hannah and Elizabeth, in the bible, are two mothers of significant men, Samuel and John the Baptist. Our Hannah is a natural mother and caregiver... and I don't think that it a coincidence.

(Zaccheaus) was a wee little man and a wee little man was he...
He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wante to see...
And as the Savior passed his way, he looked up in that tree..
And he said "(Zaccheaus) you come down, for I'm going to your house today."

Oddly enough, Zakeaus is small for his age, the only one of our children who is not above average in height for his age. Zakeaus is a natural climber, requiring several times a day "Zak, get down from there." And the story in Luke 19, continues on past the children's song

And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore [him] fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

I hope and pray that the faith and generosity of the man Zaccheaus to be birthed in the heart of Zakeaus as he grows. I have confidence that it will.

Madgalyn's name comes from the biblical character of Mary Madgalene. Madgalene was used to distinguish that she was from the Magdala, which meant "tower". I had liked this name early in the pregnancy, but Shane was not as convinced. One day at work he heard a song from the band Kutless, called "Strong Tower", not just once, but 4 times in one day! And it was decided that would be her name.

When I wander through the desert
And I'm longing for my home
All my dreams have gone astray
When I'm stranded in the valley
And I'm tired and all alone
It seems like I've lost my way

I go running to your mountain
Where your mercy sets me free

[chorus]
You are my strong tower
Shelter over me
Beautiful and mighty
Everlasting King
You are my strong tower
Fortress when I'm weak
Your name is true and holy
And Your face is all I seek

In the middle of my darkness
In the midst of all my fear
You're my refuge and my hope
When the storm of life is raging
And the thunder's all I hear
You speak softly to my soul

The song speaks of God's strength as our tower, shelter and strength. I pray the name of my daughter will be true in her own independence and strength, but also in her faith in the Strong Tower of God.

So now the daunting task of finding names for our next two boys... who will they be?

Honestly, we don't have any solid ideas. But here are some sites we have had fun with:

The Fantasy Name Generator

Aughenkel Theymhon Onali Ris'ryn Ashew Enneynn Menos Echagei Essem Honcha Rakvormor Rankelm Onny Rhusdar Nihemo Torach Emhat

Lyeachrod Nemac Isturo Rayser Loryl Risit Yerus Sametenth Nelony Unttonlor Ightise Acherd Ash'ar Sulisul Pert Oldque Voighmor

Ina'que Tiadeleld Inasaugh Toraw Ageume Sayuroth Belashril Dr'dartur Tohyxuho Aughiss Peras Kerocy Haic Thequaust Dobdar Skelmosnal Stoich

The name genie:
Armani, Julian, Malcom, Samuel, Carl, Alfred, Ethan, Vance, Elijah

Fake Name Generator:
Darius L. Cox, Jerry C. Parker
(and we hadn't even considered the possibilty of NOT using Vertner!)

Hobbit Name Generator:
Grigory Burrows, Drogo Hamwich of Buckleberry Fern

As you can see, none of these are much help. Feel free to leave your suggestions.... all will be considered, few will be used.

Happy Father's Day

With out my husband, I could not be a mother.


And I don't mean to say that in the "well duh!" kind of way... yes, he and I together have children, and keep doing so... well, duh! I mean that I could not be the mother I want to be or the wife I want to be or even the woman I want to be with out his love, support, guidance, direction and encouragement.

Today was a wonderful day. We went to the Oregon Zoo with his Mom and Step Dad. It was meant to honor a couple of wonderful guys, and yet I left with my heart full and feeling further blessed.

Thank God for my husband! Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful men who speak love, support guidance, direction and encouragement into their sons and daughters, wives, families, friends.

Them babies, those boys, will be boys

We had the 20 week ultrasound today and the verdict is....

2 BOYS!!

They are very active and growing exactly as they should be at this point! We have not decided on any names yet.

Wild, wild west

One of my favorite parts of our trip was the variety of wild life we saw. Some how, on our first day out, Liz decided that we should have lists. So we had:

• lists of the times we left each morning
• lists for how much we paid for gas
• a list of all the license plates we saw
• lists of the DVDs that were currently in the disc changer (IMPORTANT to know!)
• lists of things we wondered but didn't know the answer to
• lists of the wild life we saw

Here is our list of wild life, and of course, we tried to capture many of them in photos. Not all the photos are clear, but I think you'll get the idea.


Deer - wrong turn off a scenic detour in Mosier, OR
Robin - Mosier, OR
Hawk - Columbia River Valley
Crow - Columbia River Valley
Squirrels - Mosier Rest Area
Bald Eagle - Wasco County
Ducks and Very Large (domestic?) goose - Arlington City Park, Arlington, OR
VERY large bird, possibly a eagle or falcon - Hwy 84, milemarker 185
Black, Blue and White Jay-type bird with really long tail - Park City Utah thru Wyoming
Small prarie dogs - rest area in Momma Sage, WY
Antelope* - Wyoming
Hawks - Wyoming
Snakes - On the road, Nebraska
Zebra- Cow** (actual note from Liz) - "Similar to zebra-mussels but much, much larger and less sharp"
Wild Buffalo - Custer State Park, SD
Baby Wild Buffalo - Custer State Park, SD
Wild Turkey-lurkey - Custer State Park, SD
Pheasant - nearly road kill - Northern Wyoming
Prairie Dogs - Prairie Dog Town, Greyclif, MT

*ANTELOPE - apparently, what we saw might or might not have been considered Antelope. A certain someone, who will remain nameless, insisted that what we saw could not have been antelope, because there are not antelope in North America. Of course, we argued the lyrics to "Home, Home on the range. Where the deer and antelope play...." That certain someone then read to us from a wiki page the following:

Confusingly, the pronghorn antelope of North America is not an antelope, and no antelope species are native to the Americas. The pronghorn is not a member of the family Bovidae, but the family Antilocapridae. True antelope have horns which are unbranched and never shed, while Pronghorns have branching horns, shed annually.

Disappointing, I know... but what they said, the pronghorn, we're pretty sure, that's what we saw.

**Zebra-cow - That same un-named person finished the phone call with a sarcastic "let me know if you see any ZEBRA." So the next day, as we drove through the plains of Nebraska, we passed a open grid cattle truck. I looked over and saw through the slats, of course, cows. And then I saw a nose, virtually pressed up against the grate watching us pass, and I swear - it was a Zebra.... ok... well I only thought that for about 3 seconds, just long enough to shout "It's a Zebra!" and then come to my senses and spend the next 5 minutes in uproarious laughter. It was of course a cow nose I saw, not a Zebra.... or was it? Or maybe, we had just spent a few too many hours on the road.....

5 YEARS

Happy Birthday to our Hannah

She's a good friend to all.
She's funny.
She is imaginative.
She loves to draw.
She loves her dolls and ponies.
She will try to sing along with any song she hears, even the first time.

To Noah, she is a wonderful companion, not intimidated by dirt, critters or even a snake.

To Zak, a true and faithful playmate. They could play all day long, just the two of them.

To Maggy, a guide and protector. Like a Mommy #2, encouraging, leading and keeping from danger.

To Daddy, Daddy's girl. She delights in storytime, in the dark, no book... just creating tales together.

To Me, a beautiful flower to guard, guide, encourage and protect (I guess that's why she's that for Maggy).

My baby girl, you'll always be, I'm so blessed to be your Mommy.

Life Moment

Forgive me for the break in our trip memories, but I just had to share one of our life moments from today. (I wish I had taken pictures for you!)

This morning the weather forecast was pointing to at least 85 and sunny. I hadn't planned on going with our church's Mom's group to the park. We are supposed to be recovering from travels and re-establishing a routine and schedule. But when I saw my children slink downstairs for breakfast and quickly retire to the couch to whine about the choice of oatmeal for breakfast, I thought we might provide a goal to work towards.

"If we can get thru our jobs (aka chores, but we don't use that word) and do a little math and reading before 10, I think we could meet the Mom's group at the park. They were going to meet at the place with the fountain you can play in."

Noah hopped up and asked for worksheets while eating his breakfast, and the other kids anxiously ate quickly so that they could get dressed. We didn't get out until a little after 10, and had to stop for 5 minutes at Bi-Mart to find some sandals for Maggy to wear in the water, and of course, at Black Rock Coffee for an iced Coconut-caramel macchiato for Mommy. (really Black Rock is a once-a-week or less treat for me... just for the record) It was about 11 when we rolled up to the park with sunscreen, towels, camp chair and a packed lunch, snacks and water bottles. The place was packed! Almost every spot on the brick benches around the fountain were occupied and many had taken up residence on the grassy areas near by.

My wonderful children enjoyed just about every minute in the water and on the adjacent playground, except for Maggy who was intrigued by the water, but less than anxious to get in. Eventually, some of the other kids from our group discovered the joy of filling zip lock bags and finding random places and people to unleash them on.... but only those also in the water. After about 40 minutes between the water and snacks, play began to move back and forth between the fountains, the snack bag and the playground. Most of the time, I was flittering between conversations with other Moms and helping my children with small needs: another sandwich, a slice of nectarine, a towel out of the bag, shoes on or off. There was virtually no time there that left me feeling over-worked or in need of more hands.

Maggy eventually wrangled me into pushing her on the swings, which she would happily monopolize until the sun sets. The mom pushing her young daughter on the swing next to me noticed that I was calling out to more than one other child periodically and asked "how many others do you have." I said, "There are four of them, altogether." And she wondered at how I could keep track of all of them. I don't think I came off as prideful or arrogant, but in retrospect, I am blessed to be able to boast:

"Well, my oldest is pretty apt to keeping the rules, so generally he'll let me know if anyone is doing something they shouldn't. And they generally don't go where they shouldn't. They tend to stay close to each other and play together. They are really pretty good kids."

And they are. Actually, they are pretty amazing kids.

I shortly there after, ran into an old co-worker. The last time I saw her she was pregnant with #2 and I had just had Zak (my 3rd). She was pretty floored when she heard that this one in the swing was #4 and would be joined by twins in the fall. She marveled that I would take everyone into Bi-Mart with me for a quick trip, let alone do my regular shopping with my kids, which I almost always do. This has been something we've always done, so they become trained to behave. But I am realizing too, they are AMAZING kids, and I am a blessed mommy, to be sure.

So here is where the life moment hits, that makes me feel the need to blog this... it isn't just to brag about my amazing kids.

We return home, everyone is happy and have been promised juice popsicles before nap time. As we adjourn to the back porch we find that Noah's new boots, that were recently acquired to replace the boots that the dog ate the tops off of, were left in the yard this morning with the dog and are now in the same state as the old boots. I literally bought those boots 4 days ago! I'm pretty sure steam was coming out of my ears and eye sockets. This was after I specifically asked him to check the yard this morning... "make sure there is nothing out there that the dog will chew up."

HOW COULD YOU MISS THAT!? THEY ARE BRIGHT YELLOW!

Maggy's boots were also sitting in the middle of the yard. Thankfully the dog only seems to have a taste for the boys boots. But still! He did not do as he was asked this morning.

...

So as the children have now adjourned for nap-time, I proceed to share with my husband via instant messenger that the new boots are now a loss. And we begin to realize how much we tend expect from our kids.

Yes, have high standards

Yes, do as you are told

Yes, take care of your stuff

I don't think I know I don't take the time to tell them how blessed I am to be their mom. Maybe I expect too close to perfection.

I anticipate this afternoon will be a time to tell them how blessed I am, how much I appreciate them, activities of their choice, and lots of hugs.

Dear Lord - thank you for the gifts that you have given me in my children. Let me never forget to show them how much they are valued and loved as they grow and learn. Let me be more of their biggest fan and less of a critic. Help me show them the love that you dole on me daily.