Day 3 of CCC

The boys are starting to get the hang of this and to be honest I'm really liking it too.

Brenner served me this morning by being ready for school before I got up. I actually slept in until 0730-ish. okay okay it was more like 0745. But he was coming up the stairs to tell me goodbye before he hopped on his bike to ride to school with his friend Raven. Thanks Brenner.

Got Bronsen up and fed a little and back to sleep he went. Thanks New-B.

Went to rescue Beckett and he was clean. No extra fluids to report and a happy Kemper to boot. Didn't even argue that I took the pj's off to put clothing on him. Thanks Little-B.

What good service we have here.
I served Brenner by doing his chore of the recyclables. I started pulling out all the stuff and then decided that our donate pile was too big. Beckett supervised while I loaded it into the back of the car.I also let someone serve me. I was going to serve Kemper by taking a coin to the trophy shop for him. When my friend needed some help. I served her by printing off her flyers for scouts/school and then asked her to help me by dropping it off. She said yes so quickly and was so happy to help. I felt weird asking but when I saw how she was happy to help it made it easier and less guilt ridden for me to request and receive help. Thank you Monika. Oh and she also threatened to call Kemper to find other things for her to help me with because she knows I won't ask again. ( really only asked because I knew the copy shop is next door to the trophy shop at the PX)

We loaded everyone up in the car after school & homework was done and went to drop off things.
A good friend of ours has two little boys that are right in between my first two. We had gone through all kinds of books and games and kid magazines and took them over to the Harshman's household. They were great sitting in the car and not yelling. You can see them even helping the New-B with singing and binkie location and replacement. Thanks Big-B.We first took a bag of toys to the Kalakaua Community Center. We noticed last time we were there that they didn't have toys for little people while parents talked to the housing people and so we thought we'd help. Brenner was great! He held the bag and gave it to the lady. (I had to talk them into taking them. I just couldn't have them tell me no. I whispered please help me teach them of giving.) All of us left there happy to have helped and Beckett held Brenners hand all the way to the parking lot and didn't scream or try to run. Miracle starting to work.
Then we stopped at the local Base Thrift shop and donated the rest of our extras. This gives jobs and purpose to peoples lives who work there. It also helps everyone with cheap and still good items. I love shopping there and my mom and I have always found great items. It save me from a lot of my post-partum with Beckett. I would just go the two days a week it was open and walk around. I was out of the house and had to see people and it helped give me a purpose for a day.

I also had the forethought to ask friends of ours if we could help serve them this season. Think of things we could come and do for them. So we'll see some more people from around here to serve. If you have something you might need us to do please let us know.

I also decided that I didn't want to be the one yelling all the time to get away from the tree. (I have a huge department store tree with huge 10 yards of ribbon bows and ginormous flowers) and didn't want Beckett pulling it apart or the extra work of taking ALL of the toys out of the toy area to put it up. So I got this great idea to make our own. If I had my own house I think I'd do it straight on the wall but this way I can take it down easy. I thought I'd just throw it out but I think it'll become the cover to a Christmas album or at least a background page. I love that it's all truly a part of us. Brian is the Star on top. I'm the snow. Brenner and Beckett's hands are the green boughs. And Little Bronsens feet are the red ornaments. I have flower tea leis to add as soon as I find the hot glue gun. But they loved it. I'm going to send this into my parents and wonder years magazines. It's a great idea.

The videos are just funny. Real life right? Beckett wouldn't stop screaming and then actually loved his consequence.

Day 2 of CCC

Sometimes it's hardest to be the nicest to those closest to you. I.e. family. Well that's what we'll be doing today. I'm sure every mother out there does just the same as me but I'm going to point out the obvious. This is a service I do for my family. I serve them in ways we all need/want/and enjoy.

Primary example are the clean panties. Yes we are all very aware when their out. And are always glad to have them. So I did laundry and diapers for the boys. That was nice for all except the wiper. Well you know to be fair I've never really had the wipe-e tell me that it was good or bad for them to be the wipe-e. I personally think at that age they love the naked part and changing them gives them a little bit of that freedom sporadically throughout the day.


So today our focus is going to be on serving our family.

I started out not feeling well and my sweet husband brought me the Pepto Bismol in bed. I didn't even ask for it. Thanks.

Fed the Baby. Yeah he was glad for that. Likes the mommy milk much better and he was treated to a big breakfast in bed. Handy to have stocked fridge full of everyones favorites. Mom aka fridge fairy.


Then I found Beckett covered in vomit. I cleaned him off and his sheets and made his bed again so he'd have a nice place to nap. Breakfast and special juice and some Backyardagains and life was good again.

Brenner got a ride to school. Late. But a ride so that he didn't have to ride his bike in the rain.

Dishes are a never ending battle but we all enjoy not having to cook in the fire pit in the back yard and shleping the water from the river and not eating off of our hands.

Cleaned the house. Need to scrub the bathrooms so we don't get sicker than we already are. Try for tomorrow.


Serve myself by putting Beckett and Bronsen down for naps at the same time. Buy new vacuum - help out kid selling them to pay rent.

Served the family by not being upset when Beckett fed himself two things of yogurt all by himself. Encourage him in his new found confidence in finding his mouth with the spoon many a time. The drips don't count and learning what happens when you turn the spoon over was interesting for him too. I didn't worry that it was a huge mess because I was also trying to serve my husband ... er everyone that was going to be at the co. farewell dinner. I thought it would only by nice for them to not have to see what the "real" EmilieAn looks like while dealing with puke and the rockie mountain two step.

Meanwhile, Brenner served me and Bronsen by feeding him while I got ready.

It wasn't much of service for the dinner but I was really happy to go to 1 - thank one of the few people at work that honestly works hard with my husband. 2 - scoots him out of the office as often as he can so he can see his kids at night. 3 - pushes him and believes in him. 4 - gave him the name of Cpt. America 3 years ago. I was glad to show him my personal gratitude for his extra effort for my family. Also it turned out to be a pretty sweet date night.

All in all it was a great day to love our family.

Day 1 of CCC

I do a lot of work with Brenner's Cub Scout Group and love helping them out. I got an email from one of the mothers in the troop asking for some help for her friend. It's just easier to clip and show the email I received.


Hi, This year for Christmas, I wanted to come up with a project for my children to do something for others. Two years ago, when I visited Arlington Cemetery, someone had painted rocks and placed them on the tombstones of all the soldiers in Section 60 (the area where soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan are) My family was very moved and touched by this.......that someone had taken the time to honor these soldiers and let them know that they are not forgotten. (for those of you who don't know - my own brother, Mark, was killed in Iraq and is buried in Arlington) After talking with others we decided to have the children make special Leis for section 60 in Arlington and my parents will place them there for us for Christmas. Sadly, there are over 400 soldiers in this section. On December 1, we will be meeting after school at the Kalakaua Community center 2:30-??? and having the children make these leis for the soldiers. The plan is to use the shell leis and then have index cards where the children write notes or draw pictures for the soldiers - We will then laminate these cards and tie them to the shell leis. (hoping this makes something that is personal - and representative of Hawaii at the same time) If anyone is interested in participating - you are more than welcome to come that day. We are also looking for donations of shell leis, markers, crayons and laminating paper. Please let me know if you would like to participate and what you may be able to donate. We would like to know ahead of time so that we know how many leis we need to purchase. If you can only donate and not participate - you can drop the leis off at my home - ^*() %$#* in the Canby community. Please forward this email to anyone you think may be interested. Thanks for your help

I loved this idea from living near there myself and so we bought some leis on Black Friday and then contacted my FRG and they donated some money for shipping costs.

Brenner got started coloring, drawing, and writing messages on the back of the cards that were to be attached to the leis.

Beckett giving it a try. I wrote one for myself and one for Bronsen too.







Here's what they said on the front. "Ahuwaie ka po'okeia I kau hana ia ha'i." It is through the way you serve others that your greatness willl be felt. Mahalo nui loa. Thank you very much. Me ke aloha pumehana, With all our love, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii





Here's what our Brenner John did for one of his. I didn't get a picture of the ones I did. Didn't really want to be competing with Brenner's . It's pretty cool. I mean hot. Lava is hot. and we do live on a volcano. That has got to be one of the coolest ... er I mean hottest things about being a kid living in Hawaii. Aside from the beach and wearing shorts all year round to school.





Then they were laminated. We know everywhere isn't like it is here. They get snow there in Arlington.

They even made a sign to help the little ones with ideas of what to put on the back. Isn't that great. Oh and you can see his cute scout activity shirt. Go pack 166!









Finally the moms worked at trimming the cards and tieing them together.

I sat in the corner with the two little ones untangling my leis I brought. This took a lot longer than I thought. But it was very nice to just sit and have this to do.








Beckett wasn't feeling too good and was also very angry about ... well my best bet is just existing. Luckily it was very noisy with loads of kids in a small room with only metal chars and tables and hard wood floor. Meaning it was loud and echoed well. Mine blended in nicely. And I held my head high with the screamer and just kept on working.



Bronsen has gotten really good at falling asleep to his screams and cries in the car and at home. It's like white noise to him. That's just so sad to me. But hey, I'll totally take it man. He was also so tired and in the seat he's semi-safe from his littlebig brothers poking aka identifying his parts.


I was telling Brenner and the boys why we did this. That the moms and dads and brothers and sisters and uncles and aunties that are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan like Mitchell's daddy, Hazel's Daddy and Papi. Some of them died and are buried there. When their families go and visit them they'll see these leis and the notes and it will make their families feel better to know that they aren't forgotten. And that some kids in Hawaii that have moms and dads in the Army are thankful for them and hope they aren't too sad.


We then headed over to Brenner's Wolf Den meeting at the park. Beckett tackled the slide and made a friend. He then loved running over to identify his brother. Bronsen enjoyed the trees with the wind and all the freedom of not being touched aka identified. whoops!

Christ Centered Christmas 2008

I've been inspired by a fellow blogger through her idea for a December scrapbook. I was trying to get it done in time but sort of did and sort of didn't. What does that exactly mean you say? Well it means it could be done for someone else but it isn't nearly as dirty as I'd like it and it doesn't have anywhere close to enough "crap" on it and it doesn't weigh enough from my excessive "scrap crap". And this way of doing both (taking my time to finish the actual book and blogging it) I'll cover the journaling part I usually miss and share it with everyone else.

I work really hard each year to have Christ centered Christmas. I do all the families shopping in one day so we won't have to waste our time at stores during this season and can do crafts and activities and volunteer together. I then set up a "store" so each person can come in and shop for all the others. This year I'm changing the game a little. I bought for myself. Yeah I know that takes away the surprise but it also gives me back two or three days of Brian shopping and being gone from us trying to buy for me for my birthday and for Christmas. That is one gift I'm giving all of us. 6 hours of me shopping and I bought a whole season of family time.

This year I'm making little Christmas Trees to add things we've done for each other or for the community. We'll write them on tags and hang them on the trees and that we'll earn Kemper Bucks that will be used to buy at our little store. The trees will be labeled hope, remember, believe, try, & give.

Brian and I really want Brenner to understand what it means to have charity and help others and generally not be spoiled. We work hard at the boys not feeling entitled to things or getting everything and sharing and helping others. This season we're really focusing on our volunteering to serve and help others. We're going to try and find something to do each day that will help someone else.

Every night before Christmas we also read from a Christmas Book my parents made us years ago. Its a collection of inspirational and fun stories and scriptures to read each night. I look forward to it each year. We also have an Aunt. GABby that gives us Christmas books each year. So the next year we have a few new books to read and old favorites to pore over each day.

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope this helps all of us remember to be the instrument in the Lords hands to help our fellow man. Whether its that dollar the person in front of you needs to pay for all they have or helping at a soup kitchen or filling a neighbors pantry. Holding a door for a mother with loads of children and packages or a smile and sweet conversation with a stranger in the mall. Making paintings/pictures and taking them to an office/dr/hospital/rest home for donated decorations. I hope we can all find ways to share the love we have been blessed with. If you have any great ideas or things you do each year please send them in. I might run low.