Finally 5 1/2!

Last year I started a new "tradition" with my boys. They are at an age where being 1/2 way to your next birthday is a pretty cool thing and I wanted to celebrate that. So, we started having very small half birthday celebrations! Actually, I just bake a cake and they get to pick what they want for dinner, but sometimes it is just the little things! I love finding ways to make them feel special and I know Brody did on Saturday, his official 5 1/2 birthday!







He is growing up so fast and the time is just flying by. As I write this I just want to be grateful for every day I get to spend with him. Brody has so many awesome qualities and God made him so special. He loves to make people laugh and is so silly! He is smart, loyal and very nurturing. It is such a privilege to be his mom.

A Real Talk

After my post yesterday (the title was meant to be funny)...I realized that today I did have to have a real talk with my boys about something. I have mentioned before about a family at our church going through cancer with the youngest boy in the family Darian. Well, this afternoon I got this update from his mom, Abby.

Good Afternoon,Darian is having alot of rattling in his breaths. Keith from Hospice came this afternoon and was with Darian for quite awhile. Darian loves Keith, and so do we. Keith let us know that it would probably be sooner than later (within 24-48 hours) that Darian goes to see Jesus.Although he sounds pretty bad, Darian is comfortable. He is now on oxygen all the time, and takes morphine every 2 hours, tylenol and adavan every 4 hours. As we approach this time in the journey-our hearts are sad, but know that a paradise awaits Darian. There is no easy way to say good-bye...and although many say there are no good-byes-we will have too soon. Rest assured God knows this and will be with us-he will not leave us. Our hearts may break-but he is the great surgeon. So, lay your troubles and worries on him...and he will give you all you need.

So, today I had to tell my boys about something serious...the death of a child, someone they know. Believe it or not, my best advice came from Abby herself. Not only has she taken the time to answer any questions but she put together a packet to help people talk with their kids. It was real casual (we were even driving in the car) and went something like this....

Me: "Hey guys, I got an e-mail today from Darian's mommy. You know the cancer that he has? Well, he is real sick and his body isn't going to get better.

Connor: "You mean he is going to die?"

Me: "Yes, he is...but he gets to go to heaven!" He gets to see Jesus! (then more explanation about all the really cool things about heaven such as no pain or sadness)

Connor: "Yeah, there is no wrong in heaven!"

Me: "You're right!" His family and friends here will be pretty sad though, huh? Do you think we can keep praying for them?

Connor" "Yeah, especially his brother."

Brody was pretty quiet but taking it all in!

Connor: "Do you think there is a Wii in heaven? I'm sure there is an X-Box"!

Then we were all pretty quiet for the rest of our drive to Home Depot.
I kept thinking of a saying I heard and I don't know where but it goes like this...

We don't have a soul...We ARE a soul...We have a body.
Soon Darian's soul will be set free from the body that is so sick.

Please keep them in prayer as they prepare to hand over Darian to their Heavenly Father they love so much. It doesn't make it pain free, but they are able to also have joy in the promise and hope of heaven and for that I am grateful.

The Big Talk!

One day soon, I am going to have a talk with my boys about a serious issue. I know I will have to do it, but I am dreading it. I have to talk to them about it because I know they are confused and so far I have chosen to leave them there. Is that fair? I'm not sure....maybe you can give me some feedback. It is not about sex, or even drugs...the other big ones to dread. This one is about meat.

About a year ago, Connor said this about chickens...
"There are two kinds of chickens mommy, the kind that live on a farm and the kind you eat."

This came up about the same time we were reading Charlotte's Web and I thought they would "get it" with the whole Wilbur being a Christmas ham thing, but they didn't which honestly I was fine with.

Well, it came up again but this time from Brody. I don't remember the exact conversation, but he was talking about having a wolf and I explained that wolves are predators to the sheep. He said, "it will be OK because my wolf will eat the other meat and not animal meat." Again I found myself choosing not to get into it and left him there. Am I an awful mother...maybe?

I realized that I am afraid that if they understand the whole concept they would have a real hard time with it. I am afraid that the little meat I can get them to eat would become a thing of the past. Maybe I am putting to much into it...I don't know. Bryan does tell me I can get real good at complicating things! I don't think I would care if they chose to pass on the meat if they ate other things that their body would need like cheese or beans but they don't.

I guess the REAL truth is that it might complicate things and I want it as easy as I can get it! After all isn't this mothering thing hard enough?

So send me your advice and stories and I will keep you posted!

3 of 3

We got the house!

Connor was SO cute too, because we have been telling him along that we were trying to buy the house, but prepared him for the possibility of it falling through as well. We didn't want them to get their hopes up and then something happen that was out of our control since it was a foreclosure deal. When we got the keys, he said; "so NO one else can buy it now, it is really ours?" Brody was also excited and said; "we finally get live there now?"

This was a journal entry of Connor's...

We are buying a new house. It is on three acres. Daddy is going to put in some grass, a basketball court, and a quad trail. It is a cool house. It has rocks in the backyard. I also want a cat. Brody wants a sheep. I am excited about moving. I can't wait to be playing in a huge backyard. I love math. The End.


Now the work begins! We got ourselves into a big project but when it is all done, we hope it will be an awesome place to call home!

2 of 3

So, onto our second big event of the past week.

On April 21st, Bryan celebrated 14 years clean and sober. That was the day he decided to join a program and work through the steps he needed to take to get his life back on track. It was a huge deal and I have heard stories of his past that don't even sound like him of the person he was before that day 14 years ago. He worked hard to overcome the hold his addiction had on him and in the process found God and himself. I met him when he was just 2 years sober so I only know the "new" Bryan, but I know a big part of who he is today comes from his past and I am grateful for that. I am grateful he falls into the small 3% of people who "make it". I am grateful for the hard lessons he learned along the way, and grateful to God for showing him a way out.

We went to dinner at the Original Roadhouse Grill and I got him a Marionberry pie to enjoy for dessert! Every year we go to dinner and acknowledge such a huge accomplishment!

We are both aware that our whole lives as we know it depend on him continuing to make it year after year just one day at a time.

See you next year, April 21st!

1 0f 3

Well, it has been a crazy time since my last entry. We have had 3 major happenings here at the Doeren household, so I will split into 3 posts to do them all justice! I guess I have to run in order since I can't pick the best!

Last Thursday, we went to the airport to get Aunt Lara for a visit!!!! We were all very excited and Connor and Brody both have such a special relationship with my sister. Brody would wake up every day for the few days before and ask..."Is TODAY the day mommy?" It was so sweet! We were promised some amazing weather so it made her visit extra special! Originally she was going to meet me in California and drive here with me, but that didn't work! I know she was looking forward to some sunshine and an In N Out burger, but we did deliver on the sunshine here! Her first day here wasn't sunny but we did have a great time bowling! The boys were so excited to take her where we go a couple times a month. We ran a bunch of errands over the weekend. Lara and I went clothes shopping on Sunday, it was fun to spend a few hours just us sisters! We also enjoyed an amazing day in Silverton at Silver Falls on Monday! Tuesday temperatures rocketed into the 80's and we ran errands and even soaked some rays at Hillview Park. (Jake was happy he finally got to go somewhere!) Of course it always goes to fast and her visit came to an end yesterday morning, but it was all good and we were happy for the time we had! (Even though we had to get up at 3:30 in the morning to take her to the airport in Portland!)

You can actually walk behind this waterfall, it is amazing to see!

At the airport, Aunt Lara surprised us all by offering the boys something very special to her; a bear named Darby. The boys knew immediately how important this was to her and were thrilled! She explained that she wanted them to have him and that she knew they would take really good care of him for her and that they HAD to share because there is only one! (So far so good on that sharing thing by the way)

Saying goodbye is always hard and Connor like his mom tends to run on the emotional side! Brody usually stays tough and tries to make Connor laugh by being more silly than he normally is! This time he got a little sad right after she left, but was so happy to have Darby that he went right back to being silly!

We are so blessed to see Aunt Lara a few times a year and enjoy her visits very much!

Connor's First "Pop" Quiz

Today I introduced Connor to a school term that most of us have heard before....the good ole "pop quiz"! I don't know why, but I was curious what he has been retaining from our map studies through our Sonlight Core that I love so much. When we study anything, we mark it on the map. I log our geography goals for the week and we look at our wall map as they come up, then at the end of the week, we work together to write those on our markable map. It is so fun! Today, I wiped it clean and gave him a pen and gave him the instruction to fill in whatever he can without any time to study the map first or know it was coming! He was pretty impressed with himself, as was I. I have to admit that together this year, we have learned more geography than I knew before we started! I might even see how Brody does!

Oh yah, and SO cute today on a dictation assignment Connor wrote this sentence...

He lives in an iglue.

Isn't that just precious? He is a really great speller especially for his age, so I don't see this to often, but I thought this one was fantastic! Of course, if you look real close at the map you will also see "Eurpope"!

Easter Sunday

We had a terrific Easter Sunday, although the weather left a lot to be desired! We went to donuts before church which is big fun for the boys! There is a donut shop 1 block from church and we actually walk by it to get there so we thought it would be an adventure to finally walk in! At church, I volunteered in the 2 and 3 year old room. Wow, I forgot how little they can be and how darn cute they talk at that age! It was fun, but not on my radar again for anytime soon!

After church, we came home and I started an Easter brunch ham and we had our egg hunt. I gave the boys their baskets and they were a big hit! This picture of Brody is SO priceless! He is airborne, in case you can't tell from the picture! I really wasn't going to get him another sheep, trust me! I saw this one with the black face which he really likes and are harder to find and I just couldn't resist! Look at that reaction, need I say more! To cute! He named this one Lemon!?

Connor is so excited about having a real soccer ball and I am thrilled for it to replace what we were using when we play! Connor loves sports of any kind. He will watch play and learn about any of them! He is also very competitive!

I also had chocolate crosses, fun dips, jelly beans, and new water bottles in their baskets!

Then I went to get our new friend, Aldine, who was going to join us for our meal. We ate, played the Wii some and just enjoyed a great afternoon!

I enjoyed some chocolate, but was careful not to overload! It sure tasted good. I have to say my lesson in participating in lent was that I CAN actually show some self control and I must say it felt good to accomplish my goal. I also learned that for the right reason and motives, it is amazing what I can do even when I think I can't!

Great Friday

I've often felt we should do more to remember and honor Good Friday and this year we acted on it and attended a few special events. The boys and I went to a "Way of the Cross" display at a local church called Salem Alliance. I didn't know what to expect, but let's just say it wasn't set up to be "kid friendly". However, when we went into this room, my boys immediately picked up on that fact and behaved incredibly. Connor really enjoyed it and I think he got a lot out of it, later in the car he even repeated each of the stations we visited and could relate them to the meaning of Easter and what we celebrate.

Station 1 - Observing Passover

Station 2 - Betrayed

Station 3 - Abused

Station 4 - Crucified

Station 5 - Laid in the Tomb

Sation 6 - Alive

As a family we went to a service at a neat place called The Oregon Christian Convention Center in a nearby town called Turner. Again, I didn't know what to expect. Honestly, after being there for a while, I realized there was only ONE other small child in the whole place. I'm not sure why that was, but once again my kids amazed me. They sat through a service that ended up being 1 and 1/2 hours long without 1 complaint. They didn't fidget, fight or fret. They just soaked up what they could and enjoyed the worship music in between the readings from the bible.

I enjoyed the reading very much and am amazed how I can always be captivated by something new like I have never heard it before. Last night I was stuck on one of the events that happened when the soldiers captured Jesus in the garden. With just the touch of his hand, he healed the ear of one of the soldiers that had been cut off by Peter. Just one quick line to such an impossible thing by any man...just one glimpse into the power given to Jesus...just a few words used to prove that Jesus would do what God wanted him too and would not try to escape the will of God. All of those soldiers were first hand witnesses to a awesome healing, an unexplainable miracle, and failed to see God in it. Or, maybe they did see God in it, but failed to change their way of thinking.

May they be a lesson to us all.

Now, what is the deal with the guy losing his shirt and running off naked????

The Imagination is a Beautiful Thing

I absolutely love the creativity of my boys. I love that we are reading great books that open up their minds and encourage them in so many ways. We have been reading a book called "Gooney Bird Greene" that takes place in a schoolroom and I am pretty sure that is where the inspiration came from to set up a "school" in our living room. They had the whole room laid out with different grades in different rows and even had a chair in the front for me the teacher. Well, I played teacher for a few minutes and decided I didn't like that role and asked if I could be mommy again and they said, "yes, please"! I guess I was pretty strict in my official teacher role! Anyway, they had fun with it. I am not worried however that it makes them desire a more typical school environment, I think I am safe there. They see kids in the neighborhood getting out of school at almost 3:00 and they can't beleive what we have been able to do all that time including school. They don't see them leave for school early because they are usually still in bed:)

Then a little while later after many rounds of Suduko with our game board they had all the animal pieces lined up in rows and set up a parade with all of them and all of the small stuffed animals they could gather from around the house. (we have to many, by the way) I didn't capture a picture before the parade left town, but trust me, it was SO cute!

This afternoon Connor started making paper hats. Maybe from Curious George Rides a Bike? I don't know, but he was having fun. He even wore one when we went for a walk around the block, until the wind picked up a little...it was funny! Tonight he made this one that he was especially proud of and asked that I call it his "CAT HAT" and went on to explain that it is his wanting hat because he put what he wants on it.

I just love days where the only time we leave the house is to walk or ride bikes or have fun outside. We ran a whole bunch of errands yesterday just so we could enjoy this pleasure today and I'm so glad we did!

I'm Recharged!

Ok, last week I found myself in a total funk. The days seemed to fly by with nothing really ever accomplished. I had no initiative to do the things I wanted to do. Looking back, I think I was feeling the need for some sunshine! I have handled the weather change here pretty good, I think. Experiencing pleasant summer temperatures was different, fall was amazing, and I even enjoyed the "hibernation" of winter. But then, came spring and when it officially hit, I think I was just ready for some sun and it just wasn't in the plan! But from Saturday through today, we have had amazing weather and I have come to determine that a part of me is solar powered so now I feel recharged. It is a good thing, because the reports say the rain is coming back for a few, but I feel more equipped to handle it!

Yesterday was the most beautiful of all and I originally thought of just taking the day of school, but it started out so cool, and I started to worry about getting done with the move coming up and all that will be going on with that. Plus, Aunt Lara is visiting next week and we want to be off when she is here. So, we moved quickly through school and I packed a surprise picnic to take to the park before piano lessons! We had a great time and enjoyed a nice few hours relaxing, playing, and talking. I tried to catch some new pictures of the boys.

Connor and Brody wanted to practice their picture taking skills too, so they got some with mommy...I need to get a tripod! Oh yah, for my California friends, that is a white t-shirt...I have lost my California color, but I'm not that bad yet! :)

Then we decided to start a new tradition and celebrate the first day of the year that hits 70 degrees with ice cream at Dairy Queen!! YUM!

We had a great time and I am so grateful for the lift it gave us all. It is reminder that good things will come, just sometimes we have to wait.