first tooth!

Our little man, Zach, cut his first tooth on VALENTINE's day! 5 1/2 months old :)

mom-friendly, kid-safe parenting site

A great mom-friendly (& child safe) parenting site. Kaboose.com I have no idea if this is new site or not [!] but my sister just brought it to my attention! A daily destination for moms, with crafts, recipes, games, health and parenting information, message boards and blogs, photos, video, and more. Check it out!

happy president's day!

"No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men, more than the people of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of Providential agency." -George Washington

happy president's day!

happy valentine's day...

"If it were not for hope,
the heart would break."
-- Thomas Fuller

is it April yet?

SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS! I'm sitting here nursing the tail end of a very bad cold and it dawns on me we'll be in Los Cabos in two short months! What a long painful year this has been (with exception of our beautiful boy of course). My friend Tracey and I planned this trip a year ago and have been looking forward to it ever since. Chad, Gabrielle, Zachary & I are joining my friend Tracey and her family at Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for 7 heavenly days. Along the Sea of Cortez at the Southern tip of the Baja Peninsula in a glorious 2-room luxurious master suite to accommodate all the kiddos – The Grand Mayan Los Cabos Wyndham Resort.

Virtual Tour Click Here

i'll miss you Gramma Hjordis...

Sadly we've lost yet another strong female influence in our family. On February 5th my Gramma Hjordis passed away at age 83. She was my norwegian grandmother and was one of the most gracious, kind and beautiful people on this earth.

Hjordis Katherine (Landsem) Hamlin died suddenly on Tuesday, February 5th, in her residence at Overlake Terrace Assisted Living Retirement Home. Born on October 21, 1924 in Monitor, Oregon, the daughter of Pastor Halvor and Olga Rogen. She was the youngest of 6 children. A graduate of Molalla Union High School and Pacific Lutheran University, earning a Master of Arts degree in Music/Voice. On October 13,1945 she married Ted Landsem. They raised 4 children in Molalla, Oregon where Ted owned and operated Molalla Iron Works (mfg. logging equip). She was a homemaker, a music teacher, choir director, and a vocal soloist / entertainer in the Willamette Valley and Portland area for many years. In addition, Hjordis enjoyed cooking, being a hostess, gardening, and spending time with family and friends. She was an active member of her church all her life and shared her vocal talents with passion. She was widowed to both Ted Landsem (married 20 years) and Howard Hamlin of Milwaukie (married 16 years). In 1996, Hjordis relocated to Redmond to be near her daughter, Ardell. Hjordis always had a positive attitude, and was happy in sharing her faith. She was preceded in death by son, Marlin Landsem. Survivors include daughters, Carolyn Haughton of Bend, Ore., Gloria Atkinson of Redding, Calif., and Ardell RaZor of Carnation, Wash.; seven grandchildren, Debra Katrena, Craig Buche, Sheri Miller, Jill Rich, Lisa Dunnavant, Meagan RaZor, and Andrew Long; 8 great-grandchildren; brother, Howard Rogen of Longview, Wash.; as well as many family members and friends.

We will miss her terribly but rejoice that she has already made heaven a more beautiful place. Thank you for all you have done for me and on my behalf. Thank you for always giving glory to God in all you did. Thank you for introducing me to God's word at such a young age. I hope I can always close my eyes and see that special sparkle or twinkle that you always seemed to have. Truly wonderful memories always, Grammy! All my love, Lisa & Family

live. love. laugh. create.

integrity discussion...

I was listening to Glenn Beck’s commentary on Channel 45 a while ago when he was interviewing Jon Huntsman, founder of Huntsman Cancer Institute, and I came away with an increased respect for Mr. Huntsman. I learned that in 1986 Jon Huntsman was feeling financial pressure so he negotiated a deal to sell 40 percent of his business to someone for 54 million dollars. He shook hands with the new buyer. Some time passed, I think about six months, as the new buyer worked with attorneys to get a contract drawn up. Meanwhile the stock went up and the value of the business increased to 250 million. The buyer came to Huntsman and suggested that they split the difference. He would pay 125 million dollars instead of 54 million. Jon Huntsman said, “I shook hands and agreed to sell for 54 million dollars. That is the price.” The deal was closed. Mr. Huntsman stated on television that the value of one’s character matters. He implied that his “word” should mean something over and above the amount of money involved.

Evidently in 2001 Mr. Huntsman was headed for bankruptcy. He said, “Bankruptcy is not an option because in bankruptcy someone always gets hurt.” He did not do it. Instead he took out a loan for about $100,000. In order to get it he had to sell some of his personal things and also take out a mortgage on his home. What was the money for? It was to meet the promises he had made to his charities.

I’ve ordered Jon Huntsman’s book called Winners Never Cheat, (everyday values we learned as children). In it he evidently says, “Life isn’t fair but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be fair.” On television he said, “What will be said at your funeral? What is your character?” In the 1970s when President Nixon was in the White House, Jon Huntsman was a special assistant to the White House staff. He was asked to make a phone call and ask someone to make inquiries and find all the dirt he could get about an opposition candidate. He made the phone call, made the request, paused and then said, “Jim, forget I called. Don’t do it.” He refused to stoop to that level.

And where did this man learn integrity? It had to be in the walls of his home. And what was his home like? His family was poor. They fished and hunted for food at one time, and for one period of his life eight families lived in a house divided by cardboard walls. Now that he is wealthy, what does he do? He will be giving away two billion dollars in the next eighteen months. He says, “You have to give back to society. We have a responsibility to give money back to a higher use. The government will take it and waste it.” Later he said, “The greatest exercise for the human heart is to reach down and lift another up.” [i love this quote!]

His mother had cancer and died in his arms in her fifties at a time when he didn’t have anything. Now he does all he can to help find cures for cancer as well as help in other ways. I would suggest that you have a discussion about this man at your dinner table, and then you might bring up the comment of Todd Herzog, who just won the million dollar prize and the title of Sole Survivor on the CBS series season finale. Todd said, “I backstabbed and lied to a lot of them, but I was playing a game. I feel like I’ve accomplished so much, and I’m so proud.”
Who is really the “winner”?