Tuesday, January 25, 2011
My 40th Birthday Bash!!
My 40th Birthday/Fundraiser for Ethiopian Orphan Relief
After my husband, Andrew, informed me that I would indeed have a 40th Birthday party against my wishes, my controlling side took over and tried to accept it.
Informing him right back that the idea of a surprise party absolutely made me cringe and the thought of a kazillion gag gifts was an even worse thought, he “allowed” me (tongue in cheek) to plan and direct my own party. Recalling the huge gift bag of black and white ‘over the hill’ gifts we still had from his 40th last year, I knew my party had to be different. The waste of money going into such things just disgusted me…and yes, I planned his surprise party.
Recently, we were delighted and surprised with pictures in an email of our daughter, Ruby’s birth mom. Something we did not know existed! This really touched my heart in ways I cannot describe. Looking into the face of a woman who selflessly gave up her infant child so they both could have a better life, made my heart ache in good and bad ways. I knew we have to be more than just parents to Ruby and Roman. We have to be accountable to the children still there. The faces that may never see a forever family. (“Whether You Turn To The Right Or To The Left, Your Ears Will Hear A Voice Behind You Saying ~ This Is The Way, Walk In It”. Isaiah 30:21)
I did think of several ways to usher in my big 4-0. Just nothing really interested me. I even considered a rousing Bunko night but something just didn’t really click. After reading about my favorite charity, Ethiopian Orphan Relief (EOR), holding their annual auction in May, I knew what my party would be about. Now, just convincing my friends and family to join in! I started by creating an open event on Facebook and inviting pretty much everyone on my friends list to my birthday party/fundraiser for EOR. I had a goal of $440 that I hoped to reach in donations. A lot of people who RSVP’d said “no” and there were a lot who didn’t even respond. I was really dismayed and prayerfully took it to God, asking Him to show up to the party and bless the attendee’s and the donation pot. At this point, I didn’t even have a place to hold the party. Not knowing how many people to expect was difficult to plan for. My very dear childhood friend offered to have it at her home and this was the first blessing of many to come.
Andrew planned a raffle, selling tickets for $1 each. The prizes were $100 certificate to Galeotti’s Restaurant in Battle Ground, $50 gift card for Barnes and Noble book store and $30 to Bernie’s Southern Bistro in
The night of the party, I was still pretty much in the dark about how many people would show up. We provided appetizers, beverages and birthday cake, of course. We hired a wonderful young pianist who goes to school with my daughter, Cody Shearer to play piano as our live entertainment and everything had come together just beautifully. Friends started showing up here and there until the house was full. I was just overwhelmed with joy and the outpouring of love from everyone. The raffle bag was filling up with tickets and the donation jar was getting more and more green stuff and checks with each family. It was truly a birthday celebration I will never forget…the best one ever. Not just because people gave money but because they cared enough to support an idea. Did my friends need to donate in order to attend? NO, but anything helped and YES, we did accept pennies, dimes and nickels. At the end of the night, not only did God show up, but He had brought a flock of Angels with Him! When Andrew counted the donations there was $702 in the jar! I had passed my goal by $262.00! I was overcome with emotion and cried in sheer joy. I really was speechless and those who know me know that doesn’t happen often!
Throughout the following week, donations continued to come in either online or by people stopping me in the parking lot when I’d drop my 7th grader off for school.
At this writing, we have over $1100 in donations and another $100 pledged. The company my father in law works for has agreed to match a portion of the donations, bringing another $700 to the pot! God Is Good All The Time!!
The donations will go to a program EOR partners with called Children’s Heaven. Children’s Heaven is dedicated to improving the lives of orphaned girls who have lost one or both parents to the AIDS epidemic. It gives the girls a safe environment, meals, education, basic needs, and spiritual guidance, among many other things. You may read more at www.childrensheaven.org.
If you would like to support Ethiopian Orphan Relief, please donate online at www.ethiopianorphanrelief.org . They have an excellent site where you can get a tax deductible receipt and designate what program you want your dollars to go in to.
YES! Happy Birthday To Me! 40 is an excellent age and I can only imagine what the next decade holds. Bring it on! I can't wait to see what God has planned!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Autumn
Around here, one can tell it is Fall because the Ferguson's have started storing away firewood for the winter. Like old times (pre-Ruby and Roman), we have finally gotten back to "normalcy" and have been able to either start new projects or finish them...as well as cut one Alder tree down in our pasture (Limbed, cut and stacked the whole tree! Now just the leaves and small branches need to be burned. There are three nice piles ready for a fall bonfire! I can almost smell it now!) Yesterday was simply gorgeous here in the Pacific NW and perfect weather for doing physical labor outside. Since I'm the type of person who would rather do anything outside (mowing the lawn, chopping & stacking wood, weeding, etc.) than anything inside (laundry, mopping, washing dishes), it was a wonderful day! I was reflecting on this yesterday, about how we weren't able to fill our woodshed last fall...there were two main reasons. One, we were still getting used to our new lives with two babies. They had only been walking a short while and were not very steady. Taking them outdoors in the rain was not easy because half the time we were picking them up from falling over. They had to be watched continuously and Roman was still putting everything in his mouth. The second reason was because we had SO MUCH rain! Buying a couple chords of wood just seemed easier, even though we broke the bank just to have enough to get through our cold, drizzly downpour of a season. Bleck!!!!
19 months later after bringing Ruby and Roman home, we are happily back to full blown "normal" and do everything pretty much the way we used to when we were just a family of four. We all have our role, our routine and it's wonderful that there really are no surprises. Because everything is routine, I have to stop and make myself acknowledge how perfect our family is. Please don't think I am being boastful...that's not my intention whatsoever. Merely, I am just in awe at how our God brought this family together in such a magnificent way. His timing, planning and love for us shows in the very children he brought into our lives (all four of them)...Timing truly can be everything!
I also want to talk specifically about my beautiful 14 year old. Our Chloe is a freshman this year! So hard to think about sometimes. Already in her three short weeks of school, she has a full schedule. She plays on the JV Volleyball team with practices every night after school, not to mention when she has games...her day is at least 10 hours long! We drop her off at 8am and pick her up at 6pm. Whew...She plays percussion in the school band and just attended her first Girls Club camp out in central Oregon. Every day she tells me delightful stories about school that day...her group of friends are uplifting, supportive and they all love being together. She has a healthy view about dating and boys and although she tells me that she 'thinks' one boy has a crush on her, she is not ready to date. I love that she has a healthy environment in which to thrive in high school! Attending the same school, 21 years ago (yikes...but it only feels like 5!), I always hoped that my children would find the same encouragement and 'fit'. In a nutshell, this year is off to a fabulous start for this new high schooler!
Knowing how fast the next four years will fly makes me quite melancholy. I am a very upbeat person, usually looking at things positively, even when they seem bleak. But seriously, thinking about my children growing up, making life changing choices and being safe really makes that little gray cloud of doom hover just a bit over my head. I want them to grow up, be happy and make good choices. But that little doom cloud reminds me that this won't always be the case. There will be times they mess up, make choices that I cannot fix and sometimes won't even be able to relate to whatsoever. Ugh. This has weighed on my mind a lot lately. Not because anything has happened to indicate so, but because I know it's inevitable because I've been there. All the nurturing, love and healthy support my mom gave me still did not 'save' me from making my own naive choices. Don't get me wrong, I didn't do drugs whatsoever, have only been flat out drunk once in my whole life and was actually a 'good' kid. But I had no clue how to handle my finances and there were many times I was completely broke, or worse...negative balance. My mom was there to talk to, but she also was a firm believer of not giving handouts. I had made my bed so to speak, so I needed to sleep in it. It always seemed so easy for her to be hard nosed, but now, being a similar type of mom, I know she was doing me a favor and not enabling me...and it was probably very difficult for her to stand by and let me fall. Lessons are hard to learn sometimes, but I am grateful. In 4 years, I will have an 18 year old and I am just a bit blue over that. So much can happen in four years. Weird to think that I was 20 years old when I got married and that is only 5 1/2 years older than Chloe is now. OK!!! With that, it's time to sign off now! Ruby and Roman are napping and there are more chores to do outside...or should I nap, too?!
19 months later after bringing Ruby and Roman home, we are happily back to full blown "normal" and do everything pretty much the way we used to when we were just a family of four. We all have our role, our routine and it's wonderful that there really are no surprises. Because everything is routine, I have to stop and make myself acknowledge how perfect our family is. Please don't think I am being boastful...that's not my intention whatsoever. Merely, I am just in awe at how our God brought this family together in such a magnificent way. His timing, planning and love for us shows in the very children he brought into our lives (all four of them)...Timing truly can be everything!
I also want to talk specifically about my beautiful 14 year old. Our Chloe is a freshman this year! So hard to think about sometimes. Already in her three short weeks of school, she has a full schedule. She plays on the JV Volleyball team with practices every night after school, not to mention when she has games...her day is at least 10 hours long! We drop her off at 8am and pick her up at 6pm. Whew...She plays percussion in the school band and just attended her first Girls Club camp out in central Oregon. Every day she tells me delightful stories about school that day...her group of friends are uplifting, supportive and they all love being together. She has a healthy view about dating and boys and although she tells me that she 'thinks' one boy has a crush on her, she is not ready to date. I love that she has a healthy environment in which to thrive in high school! Attending the same school, 21 years ago (yikes...but it only feels like 5!), I always hoped that my children would find the same encouragement and 'fit'. In a nutshell, this year is off to a fabulous start for this new high schooler!
Knowing how fast the next four years will fly makes me quite melancholy. I am a very upbeat person, usually looking at things positively, even when they seem bleak. But seriously, thinking about my children growing up, making life changing choices and being safe really makes that little gray cloud of doom hover just a bit over my head. I want them to grow up, be happy and make good choices. But that little doom cloud reminds me that this won't always be the case. There will be times they mess up, make choices that I cannot fix and sometimes won't even be able to relate to whatsoever. Ugh. This has weighed on my mind a lot lately. Not because anything has happened to indicate so, but because I know it's inevitable because I've been there. All the nurturing, love and healthy support my mom gave me still did not 'save' me from making my own naive choices. Don't get me wrong, I didn't do drugs whatsoever, have only been flat out drunk once in my whole life and was actually a 'good' kid. But I had no clue how to handle my finances and there were many times I was completely broke, or worse...negative balance. My mom was there to talk to, but she also was a firm believer of not giving handouts. I had made my bed so to speak, so I needed to sleep in it. It always seemed so easy for her to be hard nosed, but now, being a similar type of mom, I know she was doing me a favor and not enabling me...and it was probably very difficult for her to stand by and let me fall. Lessons are hard to learn sometimes, but I am grateful. In 4 years, I will have an 18 year old and I am just a bit blue over that. So much can happen in four years. Weird to think that I was 20 years old when I got married and that is only 5 1/2 years older than Chloe is now. OK!!! With that, it's time to sign off now! Ruby and Roman are napping and there are more chores to do outside...or should I nap, too?!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Elmo vs. Barney
Holy Granoli! I can't believe it's been so long since I've blogged on here! Any computer time seems to be facebooking (yes, I'm addicted...it's so...what's the right word...instant!) or searching for library books.
My babies are growing way too fast. We've crossed a milestone. Several of them, actually. They are both now two years old and even though at times they are light years away from each other, there are moments when they seem exactly like twins.
Ruby's favorite things are being very bossy to everyone. We often hear her saying "NO! Don't Touch!!" or "Stop It!!" or "Go Away!" or "No, I don't Want It!"...my favorite is when she tells on daddy for something he's done to her. Oh my...the child is controlling and absolutely beautiful all at once. She continues to mesmerize me and I am in awe of this incredible creature that is my daughter. Ruby also loves anything pink, purple or green. She will point and tell me "That one!" to the pink or purple bowl, sippy cup or utensil. She can count to 10 easily, knows several of her colors and can say many of the alphabet. The girl can also sing just about any tune after hearing it only once or twice. She is a lover of music and like postings before this one, she can still dance up a storm!!
Her favorite character is Barney and she sings the theme song with gusto and soul. Today she said "No more Elmo, mommy...we play Barney again?!"
Roman is so full of energy that I barely know what to do some days. He wakes up incredibly happy and full of character each and every morning. I do not think he has ever awoken on the wrong side of the bed. He's just naturally a "glass half full" type of little guy! Of course, this also leads to him doing a lot of head butting because he thinks that is just part of being full of life! The kids head is made out of concrete, I swear. So, in the morning, when he is showing how awake and happy he is, he does this by crawling over and bonking his head on part of mommy's body...usually my face. I've learned to cover my head with my arms! There is no reasoning with him, he just laughs. Hardly anything makes him cry. Unless it's not getting his mama! Yes, mama's boy he is...and I'm perfectly happy with that, too.
Romy talks all day long. We do not know 99% of what he's saying, but he's chattering away just the same. He can say about 5-8 actual words, although no sentences. I am not concerned yet...well, maybe just a teensy bit...but his pediatrician doesn't seem concerned since Romy is blabbering so much. His hearing is great and normal, so we'll just give him some more time. After all, my mom said I did the same thing until I was 3 1/2 and all of a sudden one day I exclaimed "Whoooo Whooo, look at that cute boy!" (For those who know me well, this should come as no surprise!)
Elmo is Roman's very favorite thing in the whole world, next to mama! He lives, eats and breathes Elmo...that is, if he could. He will communicate that he wants to watch Elmo or Sesame Street by saying "Elmo-mo, Elmo-mo??!!" and pushing me towards the TV. If he does not get his way, he will get cranky and throw a bit of a tantrum. But it never lasts long. There is something about that little red monster that he just LOVES. So, now you can understand why Ruby is sick of red furry monsters and prefers purple dinosaurs!!
The summer simply flew by and we are officially into fall since both older kids have started school. I have a 7th grader who is enjoying his classes, but still prefers to be home and playing on the computer or his Nintendo DS. I also have a freshman!!! Wow...she totally loves her 9th grade year so far and for the first time in her life adores PE! She is on the JV volleyball team and will have her first game soon. I am so excited for her! Both kids have fabulous teachers and I'm looking forward to a happy year.
Andrew is working on an assignment in sunny Southern California. What I wouldn't give to be there, too. I wish we were on vacation to Disneyland...I truly believe it is one of the happiest places on earth. He recently quit his job at Oracle and started working for Optimum Solutions, based out of the Bay area. He is really excited to be starting somewhere else after being in his old position for 10 years. It's a great change, plus better income. Providing for a family of six gets pretty tight...
We have taken the kids off of dairy milk (not cheese or ice cream or yogurts) and switched to Almond milk. It's a delicious and healthier alternative. I've noticed a big change in Ruby's regularity and the shelf life is amazing. Sippy cups no longer go 'bad' in the car all day. Literally! I haven't had a rotten 'milk' cup in months. Just my little .02 cents.
Well, I have so many things I could go on about but it's late and recently Roman has been waking up at 4:30am and thinking it's time to start his day. BLAH!!! To be the best mama I can be, I should go to sleep...NOW!
Not making any promises to write more often, but I SO appreciate those of you who have emailed and wondered where I've been! My kids are all doing great and we are just living life to the fullest every day. Praise God for His many blessings!
Drubek
My babies are growing way too fast. We've crossed a milestone. Several of them, actually. They are both now two years old and even though at times they are light years away from each other, there are moments when they seem exactly like twins.
Ruby's favorite things are being very bossy to everyone. We often hear her saying "NO! Don't Touch!!" or "Stop It!!" or "Go Away!" or "No, I don't Want It!"...my favorite is when she tells on daddy for something he's done to her. Oh my...the child is controlling and absolutely beautiful all at once. She continues to mesmerize me and I am in awe of this incredible creature that is my daughter. Ruby also loves anything pink, purple or green. She will point and tell me "That one!" to the pink or purple bowl, sippy cup or utensil. She can count to 10 easily, knows several of her colors and can say many of the alphabet. The girl can also sing just about any tune after hearing it only once or twice. She is a lover of music and like postings before this one, she can still dance up a storm!!
Her favorite character is Barney and she sings the theme song with gusto and soul. Today she said "No more Elmo, mommy...we play Barney again?!"
Roman is so full of energy that I barely know what to do some days. He wakes up incredibly happy and full of character each and every morning. I do not think he has ever awoken on the wrong side of the bed. He's just naturally a "glass half full" type of little guy! Of course, this also leads to him doing a lot of head butting because he thinks that is just part of being full of life! The kids head is made out of concrete, I swear. So, in the morning, when he is showing how awake and happy he is, he does this by crawling over and bonking his head on part of mommy's body...usually my face. I've learned to cover my head with my arms! There is no reasoning with him, he just laughs. Hardly anything makes him cry. Unless it's not getting his mama! Yes, mama's boy he is...and I'm perfectly happy with that, too.
Romy talks all day long. We do not know 99% of what he's saying, but he's chattering away just the same. He can say about 5-8 actual words, although no sentences. I am not concerned yet...well, maybe just a teensy bit...but his pediatrician doesn't seem concerned since Romy is blabbering so much. His hearing is great and normal, so we'll just give him some more time. After all, my mom said I did the same thing until I was 3 1/2 and all of a sudden one day I exclaimed "Whoooo Whooo, look at that cute boy!" (For those who know me well, this should come as no surprise!)
Elmo is Roman's very favorite thing in the whole world, next to mama! He lives, eats and breathes Elmo...that is, if he could. He will communicate that he wants to watch Elmo or Sesame Street by saying "Elmo-mo, Elmo-mo??!!" and pushing me towards the TV. If he does not get his way, he will get cranky and throw a bit of a tantrum. But it never lasts long. There is something about that little red monster that he just LOVES. So, now you can understand why Ruby is sick of red furry monsters and prefers purple dinosaurs!!
The summer simply flew by and we are officially into fall since both older kids have started school. I have a 7th grader who is enjoying his classes, but still prefers to be home and playing on the computer or his Nintendo DS. I also have a freshman!!! Wow...she totally loves her 9th grade year so far and for the first time in her life adores PE! She is on the JV volleyball team and will have her first game soon. I am so excited for her! Both kids have fabulous teachers and I'm looking forward to a happy year.
Andrew is working on an assignment in sunny Southern California. What I wouldn't give to be there, too. I wish we were on vacation to Disneyland...I truly believe it is one of the happiest places on earth. He recently quit his job at Oracle and started working for Optimum Solutions, based out of the Bay area. He is really excited to be starting somewhere else after being in his old position for 10 years. It's a great change, plus better income. Providing for a family of six gets pretty tight...
We have taken the kids off of dairy milk (not cheese or ice cream or yogurts) and switched to Almond milk. It's a delicious and healthier alternative. I've noticed a big change in Ruby's regularity and the shelf life is amazing. Sippy cups no longer go 'bad' in the car all day. Literally! I haven't had a rotten 'milk' cup in months. Just my little .02 cents.
Well, I have so many things I could go on about but it's late and recently Roman has been waking up at 4:30am and thinking it's time to start his day. BLAH!!! To be the best mama I can be, I should go to sleep...NOW!
Not making any promises to write more often, but I SO appreciate those of you who have emailed and wondered where I've been! My kids are all doing great and we are just living life to the fullest every day. Praise God for His many blessings!
Drubek
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
New Family Pics
We recently had more family photo's taken. We are very impressed with our local Yuen Liu. For being a studio that doesn't really have a lot of diversity, the price is good and the prints are quality. We were very happy with the results and could barely choose from all the truly good ones that were taken! I hope you all enjoy them!
Ruby is really interested in cows. She thinks all living, breathing, furry creatures bigger than a dog is a cow. Horses are not horses, goats moo, giraffe's must too. Yesterday we had a deer family stop in our pasture and graze. Ruby yelled excitedly to me from the living room "MOM!!! MOM!!! COW! MOM, MAMA, MOM, MAMA, COW!!!! COW!!!" I ran in to see if the neighbors herd had gotten loose (which has never happened)...Ruby is pointing out the front window and exclaiming that there are cows out there! I said "No, those are deer". Ruby answered very sweetly "No Mama, COW!"
Ruby still only has a few teeth. Late bloomer for sure. She turned 2 on the 10th of this month, yet, she only has six teeth. I can feel that her gums are very hard but those teeth can't be seen yet. Preparing foods that she can truly chew is still an ongoing endeavor. That girl will eat cheese for every meal...all cheeses! Just like her big sister, Chloe! If anyone reading this has some recipe's they'd like to share with me, please pass them along. Ruby is picky (except for cheese!) and I'm having a hard time getting her to try things. She will not eat banana's, apples, eggs, cooked carrots, oatmeal (any hot cereals) or potatoes (in any form) to name a few. I'm happy to say she will eat avocado!
Potty training is going really great. Ruby goes pee pee every time she tells us (3-4 x's per day). She does not like to go poop on the toilet yet though. She has twice, but she appears a bit scared when doing so. I believe she would be even further along, but in my old age...being a "been there, done that" mama, I'm not as on the ball as I once was. Chloe was potty trained at 16 months and Elliot was at 2. Roman will not even be ready for a long time. He is just discovering he has something dangly down there! :) Hee hee. But BOY! Does he enjoy running around naked. What boy doesn't?
Ruby's vocabulary is exploding. She will say just about anything after she hears it. Her newest words are Pizza, Miss you!, See You!, Ciao, I love you (but she only whispers this for some reason), Down Kitty kitty!, Daddy bye bye, Daddy work, Chloe, Elliot, cold, hot, balloon, coffee (she can recognize a Starbucks a block away & all mugs are "coffee"!) etc....every day she is saying something new or a new *almost* sentence. She had an entire conversation with my friend Jennifer last night. She told her that "Daddy bye bye, work, Daddy, car". She is putting wooden puzzles together well and she enjoys playing make believe. She will have conversations on anything that she can pretend is a phone and she even holds whatever object of choice on her shoulder while she "multi tasks" on the phone. Another fun thing she likes to do is pretend she is sleeping...snoring and all. Ruby and Roman LOVE playing with pillows from the bed and jumping on them, covering themselves up in them, wrestling on them, etc. These are their newest toys!
For her birthday, she got a toy guitar. Oh, what fun! Ruby loves the guitars from Rock Band, so her daddy got her one of her very own (Fisher Price style). But OH MY, the fighting between her and Roman!!! He wants one, too! They are a very typical brother/sister! Ruby is the most musical toddler I've ever seen. She loves to sing, dance and keep the beat. She can keep the rhythm better than most adults. She will sing and keep rhythm by smacking her leg to whatever she is singing. I'm truly amazed. And DANCE. That girl can dance. She's got moves like crazy.
Roman is my precious little monster. He is not yet taking off in the vocabulary department. He can say Bye Bye, Hello (and he holds his hand up to his ear while doing this usually), bath, dad, daddy, mom, mama, kitty, all done...He still knows what he wants and goes after it, unyielding. Lover of books, he enjoys playing with all of his toys, but books are his favorite. He will sit down next to the basket and "read" all by himself for long periods of time. He also loves the cat. Sometimes he gets the wrong end, but he kisses and hugs that poor cat to death. We always cringe when we see him at the tail end and he's attempting to give kisses. Ugh...at least he is a gentle little guy with critters. He also loves our little dog, Sammy. Romy actually loves the outside dogs, too, but he hasn't been able to play with them yet.
Bath time is really a monsoon in our home with the two little ones taking a bath at the same time. I cover our floor in towels and let them have fun for the most part. They still have to be reminded constantly to sit down...you know...standing in the bath is so much more fun/dangerous. But the splash fest is unbelievable!! I also have to remove all the soaps and shampoo's. Otherwise they would be pumping them into their hands and throwing them out onto the floor! Ruby and Roman both know how to pump the lotion and think they have to be a part of slathering after bath time! I always give them a little bit to rub on their tummies and they think this is THE BEST. Romy does still try to lick it, though. Something about the smell of that cucumber melon baby lotion, I guess! :)
As I write this, it is pushing 11pm and I need my beauty sleep! No kidding! The gray hair is getting thicker and the red is turning apricot. Good thing being a mommy is so grand. I truly have THE BEST job in the world. Andrew and I had our 19th wedding anniversary today...but we actually celebrated on Saturday night. I planned a date to the local roller derby! What a hoot! It was so much fun. Then dinner at one of our favorite places afterwords. It was wonderful to be out on a date...we don't do it enough...but when I'm back to the daily routine, the reality is no employer, no co-workers, no employees could ever be better than what I get to do every single day with my family! I thank God that He blesses us with a life that I am able to do this and be home with my children.
Drubek
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