Family life

I woke up this morning early, thanks to Wyatt.  A project that has been awaiting me for 6 months beckoned me from the guest room, where I keep my sewing machine all set up.  Using left-over pieces of jeans (the ones that couldn't be patched!), I quickly made up my little piece of art.  What fun to feel domestic to the fullest!  I even had to rethread the machine real quick.  The fact that I can now do this task "real quick" means that I've been spending more time at my sewing machine.  I love this knowledge!

Earlier this week, I found that I had some "stuff" to do on the computer.  During this time, Chance, Ty, and Quint decided to play in the laundry/pantry room.  Their first plan, was to remove everything off the shelves so they could have "beds."  Hmmm...  Then, they brought all the blankets off their beds into this small space to help with the project.  They had a blast!

This little smiley guy just never stops smiling!!! I'm so blessed by his giggles and love.  Wyatt Courage is a delight and a gift to this home!  He just got his 7th tooth today with more to come.  He's eating solids now and finally added goat milk (via a bottle) to his diet.  Wyatt turns 1 year old next month!  Can't believe its been a whole year since he was born in Hawaii.

Spring is a coming ... and we'll be ready!

So, its usually around this time of year (when the chill wears off and we get a warm spell) that we all get excited to start running again.  Yes, it is a fair-weather sport in this house. 


But, one look at everyone's shoes, made us realize that we were in dire need of some new attire for our feet.  Orin runs in Converse.  Dwight has holes in his shoes.  I'm sure you agree ... its time.


Nevertheless, these hardcore runners stretched and ran.  This was Chance's first time on the "training" runs.  Dwight and the older 2 boys used to run when we were in Hawaii (ahhh - memories!).  Now Chance joins the crew.

The highlight of this blog post ... Check out this video of yet another fun family moment. :-)  Quint is adorable!  After much ado (months and months of begging from the boys - mostly Burnell), we finally did the unthinkable!  It was a time to remember. Which is why we wanted to share it with you. :-)

The boys are excited to work on a new project this summer.  They have completely orchestrated this project on their own (with no encouragement from us).  First, they dragged it out of the stall in the stables, hosed it off, wiped it down, and then pushed it out.  Then, they pushed it around the stables, past the arena and UP the huge hill ... all on their own!!  It was one of those moments ... seeing them all working together to an end of their own liking.  Super exciting.  Hope Wade doesn't mind them tinkering on his old go cart.

Our New Business - All Natural Goat Milk Soap

I'm sure you've heard!!!  We have started a new business!  I want to officially introduce you to Bend Soap Company, the best soap in town!  Check out our website, hear the story, read about everything, and place an order if you like. www.bendsoap.com

Dwight started playing around with making his own goat milk soap last summer.  He made 3 batches -- one Oatmeal/Honey and one Unscented and one Peppermint.  We waited for 4 weeks until we were able to try that very first bar.  So exciting ... finally the day came.  We were blown away by how soft our skin felt and how amazing the lather was.  It was great.  But, the most amazing part was how Chance's eczema was helped.

We gave out several samples and found that people loved the product and wanted more.  So, he made more ... lots more!  I designed a website and he bought some larger soap-making equipment and voila!

Now, only a few months since our "soft launch" date, we see that we are outgrowing ourselves already.  We now have several "helpers" making the soap.  We just brought on an SEO/Social Media guy.  We have someone helping to update our photos and graphics.   And, we are moving into the next phase.  Super exciting!

Orin loves the smell!

The boys love helping out.  Just recently, they helped Grandma Gail paint our office and move all the labeling, packaging and shipping stuff in there (since we outgrew the table in the living room).  Burnell can read the labels and help pull orders now.  Super fun!

 Our first Sales Training Meeting went well.  We had 5 young adults come and get training on how to present.  Dwight - with all his awesome sales experience, uses humor, Cutco sales methods, etc.  We love sales!

The amazing cook off!!!

8 casserole dishes, 6 pots, 16 cups of freshly ground whole wheat, 5 lbs of organic beef, 1 gallon of fresh goat milk, 8 lbs of cheese, 5 lbs of chicken, several cans of tomatoes, olives and sauces, and 8 hours later ... we have successfully made 14 meals and 6 loaves of bread.  That should last us for 2 weeks.  I'm excited about not having so many dishes and cleanup each day.  Big thank yous to Rachel, Naomi, and Esther Z for all the help.  I leave the room and the meal prep continues!!  Such amazing help!

And, while all this was happening in the kitchen, Grandma Gail was busy painting our back room.  She engaged many little helpers who all declared "I love painting!!" when the job was done.  She had them edging and rolling.  Chance showed me the particular technique of rolling up and then pushing on the way back down.  Wonderful! 

Our treat ... a homemade marionberry protein shake - complete with homemade kefir, fresh raw goat milk, and fabulous GNLD protein.

An inspiring treat ...brings me back to the blog

Well, its been a while ...  I'm back, though!  What do we owe the cessation of the hyatis to?  FOOD, of course!  This time, the source of my inspiration came by way of the most amazing, most flavorful, most delicious, most memorable ... MARIONBERRY MILKSHAKE from Bend Burger Company! (www.bendburger.com)  I devoured all my fries, most of the milkshake (I was supposed to share with Dwight) and most of my yummy Ponderosa burger (they have pictures of their burgers on their website ... cool).  They have such good food there!!!  They even have these amazing green beans sauteed with bacon and onion as a side in place of fries (I'm going to try this next time - if I can give up my fries).  Mmm!  This place is even more special since one of its owners was our wedding photographer. :-)  Crazy!  Thanks Kristy!

Katie Hermeling stayed at our home to babysit our very active crew (THANK YOU!), while Dwight and I ventured into the snow storm.   After dinner, we headed back to Buck & Shoshana's ranch (THANK YOU) for a dip in the hot tub.  What a treat for tired, achy muscles.  The snow kept falling the whole time.  Ahhhh!   Such beauty and tranquility.  This is a seriously AWESOME activity for tired old folks. :-)

Back home ... the snow is really coming down now.  And we're not talking flurries here.  Its coming down "New York style"! We are all nice and cozy inside ... gentle whiffs of Gardenia soap wafting through our living room. Goats have been milked, meat has been taken out to thaw for tomorrow's cooking day, ham is slowly cooking in the oven, kidney beans are simmering on the stove, boys are all sound asleep.  And Dwight and I - side by side with our computers on our laps. :-)  How romantic!

Dwight is shopping craigslist for the "perfect" car.  We've been looking for a fuel-economy addition to our fleet. So far, the 12 passenger van and V10 truck keep us frequenting the gas stations more than we need.  We need an errand rig.  A rice-burner would be nice.  And if it had 4 wheel drive, that might help too.  A Jeep would be "fun" and Dwight's always wanted one.  A convertible would be "snobby" not to mention that it  would make a better date car than our van. A Subaru wagon would be "practical" but mainstream - everyone has one here!  A Toyota truck would also be practical and great for the window washing.  A Honda CR-V would be ideal.  What are your thoughts??  Dwight loves everyone telling him what he should do! :-) HA!  Do share!