S'More Good Times!

Last night was so much fun! It was wonderful company, toasted marshmallows, and trampoline flips - it was yet another Tuesday night gathering of EIGHT AMAZING LADIES (There's nine of us including me) that remind me each week how blessed I am because God wanted this to happen - and at least in this, I listened! (Originally, I just planned on attending a Womens' Study and didn't like the idea at all of giving up an evening, not to mention being in charge).

Our evening began at Johnny Oceans, picked partly for the food, partly for the LivingSocial deal I scored, and mostly because of its outdoor seating in the beautiful Oakway mall courtyard. Unfortunately, despite a forecast that called for otherwise, it was quite cold.

I wish this picture was just a bit clearer - it's all nine of us - such beautiful ladies inside and out. The original reason for eating out was to honor Susanna's upcoming birthday (top far left) and Kimmie's (top second to far right) last meeting for the summer as she'll be out at Camp Harlow.

We returned to my house (sadly, sans Heather who had to prepare and pack for her big upcoming roadtrip) for some S'mores and fun. I passed out jackets and wool socks to keep everyone warm. I don't know how I feel about Courtney and Kaela making these jackets look better on them than me....

There was some major jumping going on at the trampoline -



Courtney waited patiently for her turn to jump solo - so she could do this: (Kaela scored this photo)

Two pictures of our group - one with Kaela's camera - and not everyone looking this way - and one with our wide angle...


The kids returned home from their date with daddy to jump right into the s'more making. Note Christi with the hood on the left - she had asked for a beanie so that her hair which had been all brushed out, curled and was lookin' beautiful - would not smell like smoke the next day. Actually, Christi was picked on a lot last night as she's the most "girlie" of the group - shooing away the smoke, cutting down the idea of camping (she prefers a 5 star hotel), etc. We love her so much, it's just fun to pick on her...


This was were many of us found ourselves by the end of the evening....definitely feeling the love.

Off to the Zoo

I have been a terrible mom when it comes to volunteering in Mikayla's classroom. Since I've tried to focus on being available to substitute I didn't want to commit to a certain day each week to help in the classroom. However, the one thing I did NOT want to miss out on was the third grade class' trip to the zoo.

Fortunately, Mikayla's trip landed on a day that was so much warmer than Brayden's. On that day with his class, we were taking turns trying to return feeling to our hands under the hot water faucet in the bathroom as it was SOOOO COLD! Today was perfect when it came to weather.

As there were so many kids (and blessedly, so many chaperones) - that they wanted each group to begin at different locations so we didn't all overlap. We got to begin with the primates - always very entertaining.

Then we moved on to Africa....I LOVE giraffes!


I love the way this lion fell asleep cuddling with the log...



After Africa, we got to eat - and Donna, the grandma of one of our girls, volunteered to stand in line (and purchase) Elephant Ears for our group....If you were to read this post, you'd know that I have a thing about Elephant Ears - and who knew that the some of the consistently best ones could be found all year long at our Portland Zoo? =)

By far, my favorite attraction at the zoo is the polar bear exhibit, we've just really scored some quality entertainment in our previous visits with these guys, and today was no exception. I wonder how long it would take for me to get bored watching them....I sure didn't find out today as the kids wanted to see more animals. Click here to see a video of one of our previous visits of this very entertaining guy.

I also love the pictures you can take of the sea lions - they love to come right up along the window - showing off to the eagerly watching kids.

We finished off our visit back in the "Great Northwest" (animals found in our own state) - how majestic is this bald eagle?

And, how cozy is this little black bear?

Of course, these critters were the most entertaining of all - and so excellent to tour the zoo with. It was a great day!

Such an Affirming Weekend

In T-minus 45 minutes, we will be hosting another "date night" - this one with just one pair, Walt and Lauren. I don't believe he will be blindfolding her to take her to another location - instead we're just having bbq together and then off to the final CCF of the school year.

I can't even begin to tell you how affirming the last 6 or so weeks have been in terms of the joy we've found in our "chosen ministry". From opportunities to speak (and make folks laugh in the joint retelling of John and I's "romance"), to hanging out with more and new folks one on one, to John's accountability group to my Tuesday Night Ladies. Much to our surprise, today, when CCF took over the "Big Church's" service, Corey gave a special shout out to our family with a slide shown on the big screen of the four of us at last year's retreat. Talk about edifying and encouraging - and yet, all along, we've felt like we've been the ones on the receiving end of blessings. I guess that's what is described as the joy found when we are serving Christ where He wants us to be.

Within our bulletin this morning, Corey Rose - the CCF Pastor, wrote a very encompassing description of the ministry of these collegians. In an effort to explain what goes on with these guys once and for all, I thought I'd share his write-up:

"Out of the Box" by Pastor Corey Rose - Collegiate Christian Fellowship (CCF)

When it comes to working with college-age people, I'm constantly inspired and challenged by their never-ending quest to experience life and not just endure it. They are "anti-rut dwellers" who aren't afraid to step out and try new things. Their willingness to live their journey seems to result in some fascinating adventures - some successful and some not. As a friend of mine once told me, "College-age people accomplish more by accident than most people accomplish on purpose." Looking back over these past years in our college ministry (better known as Collegiate Christian Fellowship or CCF) I am thankful for what God has let us accomplish intentionally, and at times, accidentally, in our quest to be disciples who make disciples of Jesus Christ.

I continue to be encouraged by a growing sense of Biblical community in CCF. Our two campus houses - with their 74 full-time residents and staff (28 men in the Alpha Omega House and 46 women in the Trinity House) - continue to remind me how God uses community to radically change peoples' lives. And our weekly Community Life Groups (involving 20 trained leaders and 120 college-age people) continue to reflect the significance of relational environments where meaningful friendships are cultivated, future leaders are developed, and pliable hearts are transformed.

I am also thankful for a growing sense of ministry identity, specifically geared to college-age people. Much of this can be attributed to the recent blessing of a college-friendly space where we can hold our Sunday Night gatherings, affectionately called "The Box". Each week, 150 college-age people come to celebrate God's presence, learn from His Word, build relationships, and are inspired to live, love, and lead like Jesus.

And I am encouraged to see and ever-growing sense of mission among our college-age people who hunger to make a significant difference in our community and beyond. From neighborhood service projects to serving in various ministries at First B, from making and taking burritos on their bikes to the homeless to serving on short-term mission projects in various parts of the world, from sharing the Gospel on their campuses to sharing Him in their homes-their love and passion for Jesus and carrying out His mission is contagious.

As CCF looks forward to the future, I realize we cannot do what we do without the strong love and support of our First B family. Thank you for loving college-age people. Thank you for giving them a voice! Thank you for your eternal investment in them! It's all paying off in huge way! Just ask our alumni who are spreading throughout our world and who love Jesus more and serve Him more because of our ministry to and with them during their college-age years.

I cannot express enough hou thankful I am for the loving, devoted, multi-gifted, servant-hearted Jesus-centered staff and leadership team who makes this ministry what it is today, who continually seek to live their lives "outside the box". I cannot tell you how honored and proud I am to be able to serve with them. They not only minister to their peers with a maturity beyond their years, they make us "older folk" (relatively speaking!) think twice about our own paths in life, especially when it comes to our relationships with God and each other. Because (let's admit it) the older we get, the easier it is for us to become comfortable and complacent "rut dwellers" trading in Spirit-led adventures for man-made boxes. May we, individually and as His church, prove otherwise and experience to the full what it means to truly journey together with our Savior and Lord for His glory (Ephesians 3:14-21).

The Ultimate Double Date

Last weekend, we got a Facebook message from one of our college friends, Jacob, asking if he and his girlfriend, Jayme - as well as good friend, Michael, and his girlfriend, Emily - could make our house their first stop in a very elaborate and very impressive double date planned by the guys.

While it surprised us that these four would want to make our house part of their evening of fun, we were undoubtedly honored and more than willing to do our part to start their evening off on the right note. We'd never met Jayme before (she is from and goes to college in Washington), but as well as we know Jacob, we knew she had to be someone very special. And as for Michael and Emily - they've been around since day one of our involvement in CCF (in fact Emily was one of the first ones to suggest we get involved) - but only recently have they moved their friendship into a "relationship". As you will undoubtedly see in these pictures - those two are always quick to smile and have a good time - so the group of four of them were guaranteed a wonderful evening.

The time slot our "visit" was allotted was 6-7:15, and it was proposed that we might be the stop for pre-dinner snacks, maybe some trampoline action, and use of the Wii to play "Just Dance". They all arrived right on time, so we led them out to the side patio where snacks were waiting, seats were arranged and a fire was ready to be lit:




I almost wondered if we'd ever make it to any other entertainment in our short amount of time as Jacob had us all in stitches with his retelling of how his and Jayme's relationship came to be. He gave us the play by play of their first real date and with all of his "what he was thinking" commentary - it was HILARIOUS!!!!

However, the guys did want to pull the Wii out and I got my first up close taste of "Just Dance (2)". Everyone I know that's ever played it has raved and raved about how fun it is, but I've found myself extremely reluctant due to this lingering fear of dancing in front of other people. But, as it was their double date - and not mine, I felt quite comfortable watching from the couch, and restraining Sydney - as she had no hesitation at all in participating in "Just Dance". =)


Before long, though, the guys took a breather - and beckoned the kids to join them. They were more than willing and actually did a pretty decent job-



As I watched the clock tick by, I figured I was home free from having to participate despite the urgings from the younger set. But, then, they all ganged up on John and I - and we pretty much had no choice but to "take the floor" and prove we were willing to play just like everyone else. Emily snagged the camera from John so we could make it a family event.

As they had previously scrolled through the songlist, I had noticed Wham's "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go", so I opted for that one as at least it's a song from my era. I found myself quite surprised for two reasons: 1.) I had the high score of the four of us - and actually kept up with the moves quite well....yeah me! (and lucky song choice!) & 2.) It was a very intense cardio workout! There's no doubt a person could shed a lot of pounds if they played this on a frequent basis! (And I'm pretty sure we'll be purchasing it very soon!)

I think this picture is super funny because all four of us are doing something different despite following only one character on the screen!

After our family dance, the guys announced it was time to move on to the next stage of their date. Before leaving, though, John snapped some pretty nice photos of the happy couples:


Trying to keep Emily and Michael from being goofy is incredibly hard - especially when a camera is around - so I had to throw in one of the many shots of them posing doing something super silly.

Part of the guys' plan was to blindfold the gals to keep them off kilter until their next destination - even getting the girls to the car after putting on the blindfolds was amusing.




We were given a heads up about the rest of their date which, at this point in time, I can now disclose. Their final destination was the location where the Trinity House Formal was held - the Meltebeke house. The guys were going to keep the blindfolds on until they had the girls in canoes - a ways away from the house. They were then going to paddle along until they reached the gazebo where a beautiful table would be awaiting them with dinner prepared. Finally, the last stage was an outdoor showing of a Disney flick....

I'm looking forward to hearing how it all turned out, but as for our opinion of the first stop-off on the "Ultimate Double Date" - it was a blast!

On the Road to Summer

Pretty dazzling, huh? (I have to give away a little secret with these extra color-rich pictures that we occasionally post - John has an HDR app on his I-phone that he uses when taking these pictures - it's a little bit of a process to capture the image, but oh how vibrant the picture turns out):

That picture was taken at the conclusion of our family date-night. Our first stop was at Red Robin - where, after having fasted in preparation for the doctor's appt. (blood draw), a little indulgence was enjoyed. Our wonderful waitress, Alysha, introduced herself as someone who was at a recent CCF leadership night we attended (another post I need to put up) - she was someone you immediately felt like you'd want to be friends with, so I made the first step by befriending her on Facebook. =)

The second phase of our date was watching this in 3D (impressive 3D qualities, so for us, it was worth the upgrade). I had no doubts the movie would be enjoyable, but had definitely underrated his potential of being so laugh out loud entertaining. Great laughs, message, and all around perfect family viewing. SKADOOSH!!!

So, back to that first picture. As we walked out of that theater, it was still WARM (it was a strange sensation at 8:45pm, a little eerie for us Oregonians who last week saw snow). It felt like SUMMER and we are so CLOSE! It makes me SOOOOOOO HAPPY!!!!

Bike Date with Courtney

Following my doctor's appt, I asked Courtney (one of the gals I meet with on Tuesday night) if she'd like to hang out and maybe do a little post-fasting splurging with me. Due to her work schedule, she missed the bulk of my little binge-fest of consuming Brayden's leftover Easter candy - but, it worked out perfectly for us to meet up on our bikes somewhat equi-distance from our houses on the River Loop bike trail.

We ended up meeting at the "set location" almost simultaneously - pretty fun. From there, we tried to ride around for a while in the university district until I was ready to put even more food into my stomach - at Yogurt Extreme again. This time, I went with the Cake Batter frozen yogurt, with crushed Chinese Fortune cookies and strawberries - super yummy, though, it would have been even better if I'd had some previous self-control and actually had an appetite. (What can I say, I have a thing for stale "Peeps"!)

Courtney is just such a kick to spend time with. There are a lot of things we have in common and have similar perspectives on how we view life . The great thing about Courtney is that she's always been so easy for me to talk to, approachable, and transparent, exactly the qualities that draw me to a friend. Apparently she must feel a similar way, as soon after we returned to our individual homes, we had a great little text exchange that reinforced our desire to do this sort of thing more often.

We'll have to make up for some lost time in a hurry though, as Courtney will be heading off to OHSU - for Med School! - in August. We'd been praying for her all year long for clarification as to her desire to be accepted into a med school, and as God saw fit, she at least gets to remain in the state, but sadly for our Tuesday night group - she'll be two hours away in Portland. We're all so proud and happy for her, though - and therefore trying to put our own selfish desires to have her stay home aside. =)

One final little comment about this beautiful bike ride on one of our first "almost summer days" is my close call on the way home. I was within about sixty seconds of an entire tree "breaking over" so that it crashed upon the bike path. There was another bike rider just a bit ahead of me that witnessed the whole thing, and was nearly hit - all the folks that gathered around after it happened told him to go out and buy a lottery ticket as it was obviously his lucky day. As for me, I found myself reviewing all of the little "delays" I faced on the way back home - talking with Courtney about one more topic (we had a hard time parting), stopping to take a call on my cell from Mikayla, or most poignantly, being slowed down because of the woman who was part of a quartet of bike riders that took a spill and forced me to stop and walk my bike around her (she was fine - just embarrassed). That happened about a minute before I arrived to see all of this:
(Where the man is standing is the bike path)

Here's a couple more angles:

Pretty crazy, huh? Given how many people were out walking and biking on the first sunny/warm day we've had in while, it's really miraculous that no one was injured or worse.... Generally, when I go on a bike ride, I wear my helmet in case of taking a spill or getting hit by a car - it never occurred to me to wear the helmet in case of falling trees!

The End Is Near

No, this is definitely not another Judgment Day prophecy - just the reality in terms of my kids school year! Another week and a half and we are home free....YIPPEE!!!

And none too soon, because....get this...tomorrow we are supposed to reach 80!!! Woo hoo! It's about time Oregon! This whole week has been pretty miserable (cold and very rainy), and then miraculously, the switch got flipped today. Just in time for me to celebrate reaching that "magic number" that appeared on the scales at last year's doctor appt. today at this year's appt. (let it be said that I'd really like that number to still be less - but, hey, I'll take it). I'm also apparently very healthy, which makes this whole over-heating issue (yes, still a problem) a mystery. I've stumped my doctor on this one, so we're both curious to see if anything becomes obvious with the blood test results. I'll keep you posted!

More about today in the next post - it's been a very wonderful day.

In the meantime, a couple of highlights from all us in the family that spend (at least some of) their days in a classroom.

First up: Miss Mikayla. What do you think of the beautiful bottlenose dolphin project that she turned in last week? Such a different student she is than Brayden in terms of eagerness to do projects such as these. (Or at least continuously pester Mom until she gets to completing the project....) The neat thing about this project is that the idea for the "visual" piece of this report was modeled after something I did at her age involving a seahorse suspended by fishing wire (which I'm pretty sure my dad created for me). Kind of fun to repeat the memories and continue the enabling legacy (ha ha!).....

Second: Mr. Brayden. He's involved in a leadership class and one of the projects they took on was raising interest and collecting donations for a local pet adoption center: Greenhill Humane Society. They took a field trip there on Thursday (which I couldn't attend as I had a pre-scheduled sub assignment) and the plan was concocted that when they presented one of the dog cages that was donated, they'd put Brayden inside as a surprise to the employees. One of Brayden's friend's moms snapped a picture of him. Let's hope that this is the last time we'll ever see a picture of Brayden behind bars!!! =)

Finally, Mrs. Riley. Yes, that's me - at least as far as the kids I substitute know me. The month of May was an absolute DREAM for me when it comes to being the perfect set-up for my ideal sub positions. They were pre-arranged, averaged once a week - and flip-flopped between only two schools - with the majority being out in Walterville, the school out in the boondocks that I love being at. It's playground is nestled right up to the foothills, with cows watching the kids at play. =) It's really just a great community, very small-town Americana feeling, reminding me so much of the small elementary school in another part of the valley that I attended.

Kind of a fun piece of trivia - the last time I was out there, for 4th grade, a girl came into the classroom nearly a half hour before class began. She explained to me that she was turning in the previous week's schoolwork as she had been gone...."shooting a tv show". What?????!! She proceeded to explain that she is an actress and was guest starring as a "kidnapped victim" in a July episode of the USA Channel's drama, "Leverage". No way! So cool.... I teased her that when she accepts her future Academy Award she can thank "the best substitute teacher she ever had" in her acceptance speech. We laughed together, but I have to tell you that, at the end of the day when she gave me a hug and told me I really was her favorite substitute ever, it really did touch me heart. =) Good times - I'm very much ending my first full year back taking sub assignments on a very high note.

The days and weeks ahead promise lots of reasons for pictures and posts...hopefully I can stay on top of getting them put up!

Tuesday Night Ladies: Fro Yo and Waxing!

Yes, you read that right - those were the activities of the night. In celebration of Heather's birthday this week, it was her night to decide. She had originally hoped to have us all hike a local hill/mini mountain called Mt. Pisgah. It will undoubtedly happen at some point this summer for us all, but yesterday was not meant to be in regards to weather. At one point, while driving home from subbing, I experienced a torrential downpour unlike any other I've driven through...pretty scary!

So, with that sidelined (with a literal "raincheck"), we proceeded with Heather's other wish - a trip to "Yogurt Extreme". On a bit of a side note, this whole frozen yogurt popularity thing cracks me up, because everyone now thinks it's such a brand new idea - and yet, back in the 90's, there were frozen yogurt places all over - and then they phased out. I guess the "new and improved variety" have MUCH MORE options, which may be the brand new appeal. At any rate, this might just be my new favorite place to splurge - with 8 different flavors that change each day (I think over 2 dozen to choose from) including Mounds and Cookies and Cream....and, oh, the endless toppings (chocolate covered gummy bears, fortune cookies???? Oh my!):


The great thing about last night is that everyone was able to come. Woo hoo!

As for the second half of the day, we returned to Christi's parents house. It is so lovely, up in the hills, with a light and airy beach theme throughout. We ended up watching "Morning Glory" on their "Apple TV" - and.....everyone but me went under the bright light to have their eye brows, and upper lips waxed. Susanna is an aesthetician who also works at Bello (along with Christi who does my hair). She very generously volunteered to share her talents with all of us, what a sweetheart!

Just another example of how much we love each others' company no matter what we do. A direct quote from Courtney: "Remember how at the beginning we were all super nice and polite to each other? Now that we're all comfortable with each other, we can say it how it is!" - And trust, me, that's a VERY GOOD thing! =)

(Thanks to Kaela for the pics!)