He Is Risen!

Happy Easter from the West Coast Wagners! We hope your day was a special celebration with family and friends remembering all that Christ has done for us. We took advantage of the beautiful weather after church and enjoyed our annual Easter supper and egg hunt with the Sanders, Gossers and Hall families...always one of our very favorite holiday traditions of the year!

Love the family God has given me

Our favorite girl

Because every girl should get a pair of sparkly purple
sunglasses in their Easter basket

Random Quirks

I have been pondering some of my random quirks and realized I have several. In light of keeping things real, here are just a few that come to mind:

1) All labels lined up and faced forward: In the our pantry, all canned goods should be facing forward. Cereal and other boxes lined up sideways should have the label facing out that is consistent with all boxes (e.g., if one has the nutrition label facing out, so should the rest or visa versa). I noticed this even last night in the shower as I turned Mr. Wagner's shampoo around on the shelf just so the label would face out (that move was exactly what made me ponder the rest of my quirks). Don't worry, I won't go turning your labels, this trait only kicks in when I am in my own home.

2) All coffee mugs facing the same direction: Even in cabinets that you can't see through, the handles on the coffee mugs should be facing the same direction.

3) Cabinet doors closed: I can't handle cabinet doors being left open (unless you are getting something out). It's almost like I think there is a monster in there that could get out.

3) Toilet paper replacements: The rolls in our house all have to have the end on top...and by all means, if you use the last of the paper, replace it and make sure there is an extra replacement roll ready to go in the basket on top of the toilet. The thought of not having a roll on hand when I need it most almost sends me into a panic.

4) Clear out the car: I don't like having garbage or clutter left in my car. I don't mind it in YOUR car if I am a passenger, just mine. I am going to blame my hubby for this trait as he also shares it. And before you think I am a clean freak, know that I don't routinely dust/vacuum my car (I wish I were better about that), it's just the clutter I can't handle.

5) Crooked pictures: If I notice them (even in your house), they are immediately fixed. Who likes crooked lines after all?

Before you think I am too OCD or a neat freak, let me continue being real. Laundry...I am great at putting it in the washer and dryer, but folding it and putting it away? Not my thing. I am known for having a pile or two of clean laundry (placed in a clean place mind you), waiting to be folded and put away (and I am usually only doing it for the Little Miss and I. Mr. Wagner has done his own laundry on his own accord since we were married...possibly because of this trait?). And daily sweeping, mopping or vacuuming? Doesn't happen around here though I am a bit OCD about everyone taking off their shoes when they enter (or I would be doing the daily sweep/mop!).

What are some of YOUR random quirks?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We hope you all had a great St. Patrick's Day. We've had fun celebrating this holiday as a family the past few years. Our day started off with a breakfast of green eggs and ham (and green milk for the Little Miss). For dinner we ended the day with Irish Colcannon (basically mashed potatoes with sautéed ham, cabbage, and green onion mixed in plus our Italian twist of adding pesto, chopped spinach and parmesan cheese), Irish Soda Bread and brownie bites topped with green butter cream frosting. Yum!

Flying By

Amazing to think it is already the middle of March, the time has changed and this week marks the first day of Spring. The year is in full swing and seems to be flying by! Most often when we are not at work or school, these days you will find Mr. Wagner and I working on getting us more settled into our new home (most boxes are unpacked but we still have some stragglers to sort through, decorations to finalize, and a garage to organize). The Little Miss is most often outside playing with her new neighbor friends. It's been so wonderful to have a great family next door with kids her age! Our girl rarely played outside before and she is now rarely inside when the weather is even semi-nice. We love seeing her exploring her surroundings, riding bikes, scooters and skateboards, playing basketball and tag, swinging on a tree swing, and building fairy houses out of sticks and pine cones. I even had to tell her to not chase the wild turkeys (OK, let's be real...our cautious girl was hanging back while the neighbor kids who have grown up here were pretending to catch one for dinner).

This month also marked the start of a new decade as I celebrated a "milestone" birthday. While I am not normally one for celebrating my own birthday, I have to say that my hubby sure blessed me this year. He surprised me before the month even started with a fancy new espresso machine (what a luxury!) and organized a surprise birthday dinner. I am usually one to figure things out in advance but this time I had no clue! The age jokes were even minimal other than the cake with black frosting that he bought to celebrate with our home fellowship group. I still haven't figured out who sent me a Quicken WillMaker book and software though! (kudos to whomever you are...that was creative!).

Valentine's Day 2014

"We love because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19)

You're Worth Melting For!

One benefit of being snowbound for several days was the ability to get the Little Miss' school Valentine's Day cards done early. The Little Miss and Yours Truly got to see the Disney movie "Frozen" this past fall at the theater to celebrate her best friend's birthday. We couldn't resist this cute idea from Pinterest with our favorite snowman character, Olaf. We used a few large marshmallows for the body, two small ones for the legs, pretzel arms, chocolate chips for buttons and eyes, and an orange tic tac for his carrot nose.

Who knew that they would be perfectly suited for our weather this past week? Speaking of last week, may our dear Olaf snowman that we built RIP. All that remains is his carrot nose and I imagine that should be gone any day with the deer around.

Snow Days 2014

What a crazy winter we are having around here! Normally known for our moderate temperatures, this year has been anything but moderate. We have had much drier weather and more sunny days than is typical but have also had more snow than ever. We had a big snow storm in early December and just experienced an ever bigger storm in February. We had over 20" of snow in two days, something we have not seen in all our years here.



First snow day accumulation

Second snow day




We've been house bound for most of the past 4 days but we are taking advantage of the snow. The Little Miss has had a great time sledding in our own backyard with the neighborhood kiddos. Her mama decided that it is even more fun to sled down the road as there is a great hill just down the street (and the layer of ice the past day made it even faster!). We also had fun making our own "Olaf" snowman.


The Little Miss with Hannah, Isaac and Hope



Sledding in our own backyard

The Little Miss and "Olaf"

The only mishap came when Yours Truly went out to the barn to check on Lucky a couple days ago. I made it there without trouble (though I saw several cars in ditches and heard a number of sirens). Lucky was just fine and apparently enjoyed standing outside in his paddock in the snow more than in the warmth of his stall. Yours Truly however ended up stuck in the barn parking lot and had to wait for Mr. Wagner to come to the rescue. He did manage to get the car out but had to drive it in reverse up the hill to our house (while I drove his 4WD truck). Yet another reason I want AWD in my next car though it wouldn't be nearly as much fun for my man. As for Lucky? He's been on his own since then (don't worry, they do give him food and water). 


Lucky enjoying the snow with his buddies

Tree down

The snow turned to sleet and freezing rain yesterday so it has really been a mess but thankfully is now starting to melt. Church services all around the valley were even cancelled today and you can hear chunks of ice falling off the trees. The only casualty we have had thus far is a neighbor's tree falling into our front yard. Thankfully it was a skinny tree!

Kicking Off 2014

2014 is in full speed and we are still working on unpacking and decorating (and will be for awhile). Our house is already starting to feel like "home" though and we LOVE the location. The commute to our girl's school is less than 5 minutes (far better than the almost 25 minutes each way that it used to be!). We have wonderful neighbors with several kids and the Little Miss really enjoys playing with her new friends. We also like the big trees, especially after having lived in a neighborhood without a lot of them. We did however have a few flying branches during the big windstorm last weekend.



View from the front of our house...lots of trees!

We celebrated Papa's (my dad) 70th birthday with a surprise party last week. We had a terrific time with family and also got to reconnect with an old friend (Tom) and his family who we hadn't seen in years. Tom was like an uncle to my brother and I when we were growing up and often joined our family on fishing and hunting vacations. I had not seen Tom since I graduated from high school (a LONG time ago). Thanks to Google for helping us track him down!

"Old" friends reunited: Tom (far left), Uncle Jim, and Papa

Finally, Mr. Wagner and his brother turned another year older this week as well. I won't get specific on their age but suffice it to say, they are advancing. I sure do love my Mr. Wagner and have to say, he just keeps getting more handsome every year. I am so thankful God chose me to be his Mrs...I couldn't have asked for a better husband or father for our little girl.

Wrapping Up 2013

We hope you enjoyed your Christmas and New Year celebrations. Things have been busy around here with moving and unpacking (and LOTS more to do!) but we did manage to fit in some quality time with family and friends to celebrate the season and birth of our Savior. Here are a few iPhone pics to wrap up 2013 (I haven't found the box packed with our good camera yet):

The Little Miss and her BFF at their school Christmas Program. Love how they ended up matching!

Moving Day...it took THREE trips. Thankfully our new home was just across town!

Enjoying Christmas in our new home...the tree never did make it up this year

We enjoyed a girls outing to see the Nutcracker with Nana

The Little Miss had to dress her doll in her new holiday outfit to take to Christmas Eve service (thanks Joani!)

We have been taking advantage of our new neighborhood access to hiking trails and have already
enjoyed several hikes with friends and family

Moving On

Just a quick update...we are officially "renters" in our current house though we did sign the papers on our new house this week! We are now busy packing and prepping for our upcoming move. This is definitely a reminder that God's timing is not necessarily the same as what our timing would be...but we are soooo thankful that He has been faithful to work out all of the details right when they need to happen!

Home Sweet Home

It's official...we sold our house! We accepted an offer the third week of October, almost exactly 6 months to the day that we listed it. The buyers signed the papers today and it is supposed to close next week. It was a long process but God was definitely at work and orchestrated a great ending! While we had a couple of offers prior, they weren't even worth considering. Finally, one morning we had an offer come in that was reasonable so we met with our realtor to prepare a counter offer. Literally minutes after we left his office and right before his assistant faxed our counter offer, we got a call from a new agent who said we would be getting another offer that day! After SIX (very long) months of waiting, we had two competing offers! At that point our realtor didn't yet know the details of the 2nd offer but he was able to tell them we had another offer on the table so they knew it needed to be competitive. God put the final "stamp" of approval on the whole thing by laying a specific amount on my heart to pray for. Just seconds after I finished praying and asking for that specific amount, our realtor called and shared the details of the 2nd offer. Guess what?! Same exact amount that God laid on my heart to pray! Don't you just love when He works in a way that makes it so obvious that it was HIM all along?! That confirmation alone was well worth the wait!

The buyers did agree to let us rent back until we could find another house. Just one week after we accepted the offer, we found a great house to buy and had an offer accepted on that house. We are now just waiting for the appraisal on the new house and expect to hear back in the next few days. Praying that goes well! If it does, we will be moving the weekend before Christmas. Moving during the holidays is not exactly what the "planner" in me would have planned but with God, all things are possible!

Fall Fun with "Family" Friends

As you can tell by the title of this post, I'm not feeling all that creative as I sit here typing this. It does capture the feeling well though. We love going to the pumpkin patch each year with our "pretty much like family" friends. Fun times with the Curtis and Booth families!

This morning the Little Miss asked Mr. Wagner, "Why are you wearing THAT shirt?"...

thinking she should have asked more about the hat

 

Love these girls!

Mr. Wagner likes to make fun of my new muck boots...I think they are stylin'

"Old" friends

We tried to get a pic of all the kiddos but they were pretty much all outtakes.
Those are some cute kids though!

Flips, Flying and Fun!

We celebrated our girl's 7th birthday with family and friends doing flips, flying and having fun! OK, so it was mostly the kids doing the flipping but children and adults alike enjoyed the party at our local gymnastics gym. The Little Miss chose the venue and had a terrific time playing with her friends on the beams, bars, trampoline, foam pit and vault. Fun times!

Blooming

Dear Little Miss,

It amazes me to think that you turned 7 years old today. Wow. You are becoming quite the young lady. A true blessing to your parents and so many others. Your kind heart, joyful spirit, desire to be right yet strong dislike of being in trouble (a trait your parents sure do appreciate and hope carries on into your teen years!), your contagious laughter and beautiful smile...you shine the light of Christ to everyone around you.

As I think back on the first day that you entered this earth 7 years ago, I am overwhelmed. It used to be that I was overwhelmed with questions of "why?" and feelings of failure and grief because both your parents missed out on your first moments (I was "sleeping" at the time and your daddy was driving like a mad man to race from work to the hospital which was several hours away). It took me your first few birthdays to not be overwhelmed with reminders of those trials.

Today, on your 7th birthday, my heart was not overwhelmed with those thoughts. They came to mind some but much less so. Today, I was overwhelmed with thankfulness to be able to hold our precious 7 year-old beauty in my arms. To be your mommy. To stand beside you in church and worship Jesus together. To finally feel like God made even those first moments precious. Moments that I wouldn't trade or do differently. Moments that years down the road, will make you even stronger.

You, My Girl, had to be a fighter from your first breath. You didn't give up. Most of all, GOD didn't give up on you. He has amazing plans in store for you Sweet Child. Plans that I am excited to get to be a part of. I am honored to watch you bloom.

I love you more than words can say, forever and forever.

Mama

Photo courtesy of the amazing Joani Curtis

First Day of 1st Grade

It's official, school is now in session! The Little Miss had her first day of 1st grade today. She LOVED it. It helps that she knew her teacher in advance since she is a friend of both Mr. Wagner and Yours Truly from our church college group days. That made the transition much easier, both for our girl and her verklempt mama. Can't believe how fast our 2.5 lbs baby is growing up!

Summer 2013

It's amazing to think that summer is coming to an end already...craziness! The time has flown by and I was reminded this week by my dear dad that it's due time for a new blog post. Since it's been awhile, here's a quick recap of our summer:

June - Thanks to her daddy's patience and persistence, the Little Miss learned to ride her bike without training wheels. A big accomplishment for our cautious girl! She'll be mountain biking before you know it.

July - We headed to Bend to celebrate the 4th with a Family BBQ and most importantly, the Pet Parade. The Little Miss got to walk "Bandit" for the 2nd year in a row thanks to my uncle who had him groomed and ready to go (flag-themed bandana and all). It was a special way to remember Aunt Jenny who loved both the little girl and her dog.

In July, the Little Miss and Yours Truly also enjoyed a camping trip to Lemolo Lake with Papa & Mimi and my brother and SIL (Mr. Wagner had to stay behind to study). Lemolo was our family's favorite place to camp and ski when I was growing up so it was extra special to get to share it with my daughter. The Little Miss also enjoyed our day trip to the coast where she got to "drive" the boat with Papa.

Toward the end of July the Little Miss got to join in the annual Gossers Grandkids Camp. We are so blessed that they include her as one of their own and that she gets the time to learn bible lessons and play with "cousins". Always one of her favorite weeks of the year!

August - This month started off with a camping trip to Timothy Lake with my extended family. We had a terrific time swimming in the lake, canoeing, biking, visiting and eating great food. Such a beautiful location and fun company! August also included a couple of short trips to Bend and ended with the Little Miss and I going on a girls weekend to Lincoln City with two of my good friends from high school and their daughters. This was our second annual trip and I hope it is a tradition in the making.

Other activities that we enjoyed this summer included swim lessons, outings to our neighborhood pool, and trips to the horse barn to see Lucky. Now off to enjoy our last few days before school starts...

Life Goes On

Hello Dear Readers (if any of you are still out there), the West Coast Wagners are still around. Life has been busy and full of it's ups and downs the past few months. A few of the high and low lights:

1. We listed our house for sale. So far we have had a number of lookers but no buyers. If we sell, we are hoping to find a place closer to our girl's school with a little more land (or at least a larger lot). We're trusting God's timing (in keeping it real, I admit I am doing a lot of praying and confessing because I often feel impatient with the whole process. Being an extreme planner, the current waiting/holding pattern is definitely refining).

2. The Little Miss graduated from Kindergarten at the end of May, crazy to think she is going to be in 1st grade next year!

 3. We lost my dear Aunt Jenny. I am thankful that I got to be with my aunt and uncle (who had just recently celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary) during her last few days and cherish those very special moments. She entered the gates of heaven on Monday, May 20th with my uncle, brother and I by her side. We miss her dearly. Holidays in Bend and trips to Hawaii won't be the same without our favorite hostess who loved preparing big meals and celebrations for family and friends. Sundays aren't the same either without our weekly calls. Aunt Jenny adored her great niece, who thanks to her just inherited about 500 teddy bears (literally). We may need to up the size of that house we are looking for...

Aunt Jenny with the Little Miss in 2006



Our Dear Old Man

The girls of the Wagner house sure love our 'old man'...in this case I'm not referring to Mr. Wagner (tho' of course we love him too!). The 'old man' of whom I am speaking is our horse, Skip's Lucky U-2 (i.e., "Lucky"). Lucky officially turned 28 on April 6th. It's crazy to think I won him when he was 3 months old (he wasn't even weaned!). He has been one of the biggest blessings of my life and I am so happy to get to share him with my own daughter. The Little Miss is turning into quite the horse girl!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We hope you all experienced the luck of the Irish today! While I like to celebrate with Irish food, cabbage and anything corned or pickled does not go over well with the other members of my family. Instead we carried on our very Americanized family tradition with loads of artificial food coloring. The Little Miss celebrated this morning with green eggs and green milk, Mr. Wagner added green to his yogurt and just before the Little Miss could complain that her mama wasn't going to eat anything green, he generously tinted my coffee green (ummm...thanks Honey). Lucky for you, I didn't get the chance to get a family picture with all of our green tongues (see, you were lucky today!).

Welcome Tooth Fairy!

The Little Miss has been eagerly anticipating the loss of her first tooth and has complained several times the past few months about being one of the last kids in her Kindergarten class to lose a tooth. That all changed today thanks to the assistance of a bit of dental floss and a mama who was determined to get the tooth out that had been hanging on for dear life for the last week. Guess it's time for our household's Tooth Fairy to find her wings (and a dollar from Mr. Tooth Fairy's wallet).