Count it all Joy

Engaged!

2010-07-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

"Going to the chapel and I'm gonna get married".... Yes! I am engaged to Jase Michener! Wedding plans for September 4th 2010 are busily being made. I am so excited to start this next chapter of my life. God is good! :) Visit our wedding website if you'd like, I am still working on it but hope to have it finished soon. Summer is here, enjoy!

Goin' Courtin'! :)

2010-03-20T15:37:00.000-07:00

Yes! You heard me right! I am officially Courting! It has been just over two weeks now and I couldn't be happier. The fella is Jase Michener from Grandview, Wa. He is a godly, wonderful, talented young man and I am very much enjoying getting to know him even better. I promise more pictures soon.

Little brothers....

2010-02-14T20:42:00.000-08:00

The other day, I was putting my birthday wish list on the fridge and Warren was looking it over. One item on my list was a Ballet Magnificat! bumper sticker and Warren asked me, "Why do you want a bumper sticker?" I told him that I had wanted to put a bumper sticker on my car from the first day I had bought it, but I wanted just the right one. He kind of shook his head, as if to say I was crazy, and walked away. Jia Tai was listening to this little conversation and heard the word "sticker" and that I had wanted a "sticker" for my birthday. That was all he needed to hear. He ran to his bedroom and pulled out his favorite spiderman stickers. And, without me knowing, he slipped out of the house. Jai Tai was beaming a huge smile as he ran up the stairs to the bathroom where I was getting ready for work. He grabbed my hand and exclaimed, "Coco! Coco! I got you a birthday present, come and see it!!!" He took me down the stairs and out to my car, where he proudly showed me two of his prized spiderman stickers which he had stuck so perfectly centered on my headlights. I wanted to cry. It was so sweet. His face was like a big beam of light. Then he asked, "Coco? Will you keep them on for the day?" I replied, "They are awesome Jia Tai! And yes, I will keep them on and show everyone what you gave me for my birthday." He was overjoyed. Then he took my hand and we walked back inside. I am so blessed with such a wonderful family. Thank you Lord. :)

It's December! Can you believe it??

2009-12-16T21:57:00.001-08:00

I just pulled some Chocolate Paradiso Biscotti out of the oven and boy, does it smell good! A wonderfully crunchy cookie with bits of toasted almonds, hints of orange and large chunks of dark chocolate.

Wow, it's December. Where has the time gone? I have definitely been keeping busy with life. I am working 4 days a week at a local health food store and am enjoying it, I am also learning a lot! I continue to create in the kitchen and it never grows old to me. If I didn't get to spend at least three hours in the kitchen, my day was not complete! :) Life is busy and good at home. Always lots of work to be done, joys to share, games to play, books to read and talks to have. I wouldn't trade all these memories for anything. I love my family! I have been working on some sewing projects, some Christmas and the other is a big quilt which I am thoroughly pleased with how it is turning out. I am to the point of starting to machine quilt it but I am a little scared, it is rather large and I am NOT experienced with machine quilting! We'll see...anybody have any tips for me? So, other than just living life to the fullest following my Father in Heaven as He leads and enjoying it tremendously...not too much else. I will write again soon and post some pictures. God bless you all richly in the Christmas Season!

High School Graduation!!

2009-06-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

Laurel after performing

The Michener kids and Backholm kids (minus Stephen)

The Michener Family

The graduation party crowd

Candice and Wyatt

Where people ALWAYS congregate...around the food!
It is just not a party without food.

Yep! I graduated! It feels so good to be "done" with school. I know that learning never ever stops but it is so nice to be graduated from high school. A lot of people are asking me what I am going to do now. I am not 1oo% sure what this next year holds for me but I do know that whatever happens I am going to keep my eyes on Jesus knowing that he holds my life in his hands. I plan to keep making money and working my full-time job at home. I am also considering teaching ballet lessons in the fall. Plus I would love to continue to bless and help out families who need a hand with house work, cooking, child care and whatever else suits their fancy. Anywho, I am going to keep my eyes wide open because life full of adventures and twists and turns and I don' want to miss any of them!

We had a GREAT graduation party on Saturday. Wonderful company, good food, lots of laughter and even live music featuring Zona Calda and Melina Kastle. Yes, it was splendid! One of the best gifts to me was that my good friends from Grandview were able to come and stay the weekend with us. We had an absolute blast playing tennis, pinochle, nerts, trivial pursuit and more. We thrived on little sleep and yummy food!! Ohhh...what fun, what fun. It was so hard to say good-bye. :(

On Sunday evening Laurel performed with the Grays Harbor Symphony playing Kabalevsky's youth concerto no. 5 op. 30 and she did a bang up job. I am so excited to see were Laurel goes with her amazing God-given talent and determination to practice daily 4-5 hours. I wish she would rub off on me! :)

Well, this is getting long and it is getting rather late. I am getting my last two wisdom teeth out tomorrow, so if you think about it I would appreciate prayer for a easy surgery and quick recovery. I will try to post again soon.

P.S. Does anyone know the secret to getting the pictures to go where you want them to?? I am completely and utterly befuddled!

Yes..I am still alive!

2009-05-27T20:19:00.000-07:00

I know that you are all thinking that I have probably died or something but I actually am still here doing what I usually do and having a grand time. I just got back from spending a few days with my good friends the Micheners, were I ate good food, played lots of pinochle, laughed, held precious babies, played, enjoyed the sunshine and 85 degree weather and helped my sweet friend Larelle in anyway I could. About a month ago I finished up my year of Bible quizzing at districts in Tacoma with my team taking First! Yes! We were so excited! We all agreed that it was a very fun way to end the year. I have finished all my school now and I am finally graduating in a week and a half. It is a great feeling, yet a little strange and daunting since only God knows what the future holds for me. Yet, I wait with great anticipation knowing that his plans for my life are good and for a purpose. I'm so glad God cares about me! Well, I know that this a short post but I realized that I hadn't written in over 3 months and had to do something about it. I will try to post again soon with pictures. Be Blessed.

Baby Jackets, Raspberry Jam, and Cousins!

2009-02-24T21:56:00.000-08:00

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Today was a great day! For starters Laurel and I made a batch of raspberry jam and the whole house smelled of summer. Ohhh..it was just delightful! Then we had a wonderful unexpected visit from our cousins who moved away to Seattle last December. So we drank tea and ate cookies while catching up on all the latest news and holding adorable Brinna. :) She has grown so much since the last time I saw her it was almost like a different baby! We really enjoyed getting to see them again. Finally, this evening Laurel and I finished two sewing projects that we started last week. We found this cute baby jacket pattern at a fabric store in Olympia and knew that we had to make some. It just so happens that a family we know is due to have twins any day now, so we decided to get a sewin'. We think they turned out marvelously and we will certainly use the pattern again. Ohh...what a day!

18 Years of Richly Blessed Life!

2009-02-23T20:56:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday was my 18th birthday. I have been so richly blessed in the past years with a wonderful family and a sovereign, merciful, gracious God who loves me even though I am a horrible sinner. Praise God for his blood that washes us white as snow. I had a lovely day on the 17th. My sweet mama and sisters made me a delectable breakfast of apricot, white chocolate and pecan scones, scrambled eggs, bacon, fruit salad and tea. Yes, it was so good! Later Laurel and I went to Olympia and did a little shopping, mostly just window shopping but we had a great time and managed to find four chic skirts at a small second-hand store. We were truly pleased with our finds! Afterward, we met up with Stephen, Paige, Pear and Jovie at a coffee shop and munched on a some of the world's greatest chocolate chip cookies that Paige so graciously made. :) Meanwhile, back at home, mama started to whip up what was going to be one of the best dinners I have ever had. The scrumptious aromas of Coq au vin, Anna's pommes, and lightly roasted asparagus lead me to the table with great anticipation of what I was about to indulge myself in. For dessert we relished a tart tartin with a spoonful of devonshire cream on top. Yum! It was a delightful meal and oh so satisfying. And to top the day off, the sun was particularly golden and the sky was a silken blue all day long. Thank you Lord for 18 years of abundant life!

My new sophisticated look...

2009-01-23T15:44:00.000-08:00

Yep...I am visually impaired when it comes to reading. I had been having a terrible time reading lately. My eyes couldn't focus properly and after just a few short minutes my eyes would hurt something awful. So to the eye doctor I went and sure enough I now own a pair of glasses. And now everyone is telling me that I look just like Sarah Palin. I am not sure that I agree. What do you think?

Iced Coffee, Fresh Bread and Sunshine!

2009-01-21T20:52:00.000-08:00

'Tis so sweet to slurp an iced coffee on a sunny day. I was overwhelmed with a wonderful warmth as I sat outside drinking my iced coffee yesterday. I was sitting there lost in the moment and realizing how blessed I am to live in this country, this state, this city, this house and in this family. Thank you Lord for this wonderful day! This wonderful day that you ordained long before I was born. Enjoy the sunshine ya'll!

I have been baking a lot of bread lately( You all should be baking your own bread as well if you can, it is so much cheaper! And, might I add, so much tastier! :)) and decided to take some pictures of the tasty loaves while they were cooling. So enjoy, after all, most people eat with there eyes!

Happy Birthday Mom and Stephen!

2009-01-18T22:45:00.000-08:00

Praise the Lord for the beautiful weather! We celebrated TWO birthdays yesterday, Mom and Stephen. Stephen is 25 now and Mom is 49. Stephen made mushroom crostini for an appetizer and everyone pitched in on dinner which consisted of a full-fledged thanksgiving meal. Yep...turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, cranberries, salad and let us not forget the family's favorite, grandma's green bean casserole. :) We also enjoyed a pumpkin and a pecan pie. It was so delicious! I am so blessed to be a part of such a great family. We laughed often and immensely enjoyed each others company.

Today we took a walk up at Sam Benn park while we soaked up a little sunshine. It felt so good. I am really looking forward to Summer. Here are some pictures of the past couple of days.

Time is Flying!

2009-01-15T13:53:00.000-08:00

I realize as I am sitting here that I have not posted in over 5 weeks! Yikes! I have not purposely neglected posting but it was just further down on the list of things to do. So without any further ado- here is an update of the last month.

-We had about 50 people for Christmas Eve at our house. Yes...we were all squashed in like sardines in a tin can but we had a blast. We played lots of games, ate food (we never, let me repeat, NEVER lack in the food department, and enjoyed my favorite people: My Wonderful Family! We had one of the best Christmas' ever.

-On New Years Day Mom, Laurel and I drove up to Bellingham to go skiing, the first time since I was 8 years-old, with our cousins. Friday morning we woke early donning on our warmest of clothes. My wonderful Aunt Tammie made us breakfast sandwiches and packed us a picnic lunch. And then we were off! Well to Starbucks that is. No trip to the freezing mountains would be complete without coffee! We finally arrived to Mount Baker and got a wonderful parking spot (not too hard to do when you are the second car there!) Before I new it I was on the ski lift and climbing into the sparkling white sky. I was rather scared but Trevor assured me it would be no problem. I tried to tell him I didn't even know how to snow plow he just said I would be fine. Needless to say the first trip down the mountain was interesting. I spent most of the time on the ground skis in the air. I became more accustomed to the way skiing worked and eventually I could go for a while. Although, I never made it all the way down without falling at least once. We had a great day and when we arrived home cold and exhausted our wonderful sisters had a scrumptious meal for us. Thank you Lord for Sisters!

- After returning home from Bellingham I sewed a dress and packed my bags. I was heading to Texas for the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival with Amy Ellen and Cassie. We had a magnificent time and it was so encouraging to be around others girls with similar visions and hopes. God is so good to me! I really enjoyed meeting new people and soaking up the Texan sun. I will post some pics soon of this trip.

And now I am home and studying hard. I am currently working on 6 chapters in Luke.
Have a blessed day,
Claire

Great Verse...

2008-12-05T16:11:00.000-08:00

Melina wrote this verse on a piece of paper yesterday and posted it on the fridge. It really hits home.

1st Thessalonians 4:11,12

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands...so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependant on anybody.

Sweet Little Jovie

2008-11-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

Just some pics of my sweet niece and various family members.

Welcome Little One!

2008-10-28T21:04:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce the birth of Jovie Blythe Backholm to Paige and Stephen Backholm, today at 4:00pm. She weighed in at 6 pounds 9 ounces and is 18 inches long. She looks very much like her mother. I was able to see her a few hours after her birth and have to say she is an angel! Congratulations Stephen, Paige and big sister Pear! Proud Grandpa Doug!

Mom and baby Jovie

I think Jia Tai is not quiet sure of her yet

Proud Grandma Therese!

Tagged? I guess so....

2008-10-20T21:29:00.001-07:00

Well, I think that I have been tagged by Kate but I am a little confused so I will just do as she did. I am supposed to write 6 random facts about myself and then tag several other people at least and then they are supposed to let me know when they write their post. Or something like that...I know confusing... but I will give it a shot.

1. When I was about two, I pulled a pan of cinnamon rolls off the counter and onto the floor and ate as much as I could before I was caught. Although I do not remember this they have pictures to prove it...maybe they didn't feed me enough??:)

2. I LOVE a banana smothered in peanut butter and rolled in crushed up saltine crackers. If you have not tried this it is delicious! Beware, you do need something to wash it down with. :)

3. I would like to visit Australia...I don't really know why it has just always fascinated me.

4. A day does not go by that I do not have a good strong cup of English Breakfast tea.

5. I know this may come as a surprise to those of you who really know me but I did have a pet bird once. Her name was Queen Victoria.

6. I have done ballet for 10 years and have loved every minute of it!

So now I tag Rebecca, Paige, Rhianna and Stephen Backholm. Let me know when you do your post! And Kate...I did mine! ;)

My How Time Flies!

2008-10-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been over a month since I have last written! Sorry ya'll! But life has kinda been a blur the past month and a half. It all started with a lovely Swiss girl, Debbie, coming to stay with us for the month of September. We had great time together and we'll always remember the fun we had! The month speed by at an incredible rate and before I knew it we were driving her to the airport. It was at that moment that I realized that I had not written about her and all the joyous times we had together. There is no way I can remember everything we did but I will try and list a few things and some pictures. This is only a smidgen of what we did but at least it gives you a little taste.

Something else that has taken up much of my time is Bible Quizzing. We are memorizing the book of Luke! This is my first year and I am having a blast. Granted it is A LOT OF WORK if you want to really participate in it but it is well worth it! If you would like to know more about let me know and I will try and answer any questions you may have. We had our first quiz meet at the begining of October and I placed 15th. I was pleased with my score but know that I can do better. The next one is November 21 and 22nd. It amazing how knowing the word of God can put your mind at ease when you are troubled or stressed. Just going over and over the scriptures in your mind (or saying them out loud) is really relaxing. I wish I would have memorized more at an earlier age.

At the Lake Quinault Lodge
Having a picnic in the gazebo

Our true selves! :)
I just really like this picture

On the way to Yakima

At the Central Washington State Fair

Downtown Seattle at Top Pot Donuts
Pike Place Market

At one of the malls downtown

The Space Needle Being Silly!

Meet The Newest Backholm!

2008-09-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

Here she is... Brinna Rose Backholm born to Joseph and Brook Backholm (our cousins) on Monday, September 8th at 8:50 pm. She is absolutely adorable and has the sweetest pumpkin colored hair. Babies are amazing aren't they?

My Little Apprentice in the Kitchen

2008-08-24T14:59:00.001-07:00

About a week ago Jia Tai asked, "Coco, can me and you have a tea party?" I said that would be fun and asked him "what should we eat at the tea party" he replied with a curious voice, "Chocolate?" I laughed and he gave me a grin that took over his whole face and made his eyes disappear. Thinking we would need something a little more filling and something the whole family would enjoy I asked him what he thought about chocolate zucchini bread. He gave his quick nod of approval and we set out to make it. The Apprentice Jia Tai

He had a few problems cracking the eggs....
But by the third one...he got the hang of it

While the bread baked we blew bubbles outside

I tried to get a picture of both loaves but the hoards devoured one before I got a chance!

My apprectice worked so hard making bread and then eating it he couldn't help but fall asleep during quite time. (He rarely sleeps during quiet time normaly he just plays with his toys or looks at books!)

Girls Night Out

2008-08-19T17:59:00.000-07:00

On Sunday evening Melina, Laurel and I decided to treat ourselves and go up to Olympia for a little night out. We wanted to get a cup of coffee somewhere to start the evening off and decided on Mercato, a small Italian restaurant near the Olympia market. We planned only to get a cup of coffee and share a dessert but after arriving and waiting to be seated for about 15 minutes, our mouths watered and our appetites could just not be satisfied with sweet so we ordered an appetizer to share. We had a great time just chatting and sitting in the quite environment drinking our favorite coffee, Batdorf and Bronson. ( If you have not tried it, you have not had a cup of coffee.) For dessert we ordered one of our favorites, Affagato, generous scoops of white chocolate gelato, a drizzle of chocolate, a perfectly pulled espresso shot, a swirl of whipping cream and a quick shake of cocoa powder. I know it sounds amazing and it truly is. We hoped to only be there a half hour or so but we were there almost two hours! We spent the last few minutes of our night perusing the shelves at Barnes and Noble's Book store, mostly the cookbook section, and then began the 50 minute drive home. It was nice to get away for the evening and be with my sisters.

Wyatt's 14th Birthday!

2008-08-14T06:55:00.001-07:00

Wyatt's Birthday was on Monday, August 11th. We had a fun day celebrating just hanging around and eating a delicious pork tenderloin dinner. He got some soccer stuff, money, and a couple of guitar books. He recently picked a guitar up at Rosevears and likes it very much. For dessert, he requested strawberry rhubarb pie with a strusel topping and vanilla ice cream. Now that he is 14,he is looking forward to working for O'Brien's Catering once in a while and using the weight room at the YMCA. Happy Birthday Wyatt! Thanks for being such a great brother!

Sailing at Lake Quinault

2008-08-07T21:00:00.001-07:00

We had such a fun time yesterday at Lake Quinault. Our good friends the Jones', the Gross' and the Ballous invited us to join them for an afternoon of sailing, swimming and good fellowship. We eagerly took them up on the offer and had a marvelous time. Mr. Jones is teaching me how to crew for him, it is absolutely a blast and I love every minute of it, especially when you trap out. The feeling of gliding across the water without a motor humming in your ear is wonderful.Sorry I didn't get any pictures of the day... I forgot the camera! Anyways, we ate a scrumptious dinner of teriyaki chicken shishkabobs and a four berry trifle for dessert. Some how we managed to get a flat tire on the way up but Mr. Ballou kindly offered to change it so papa wouldn't hurt his back. All in all the weather was gorgeous until about 7:30ish when some raging winds came up and we all about froze to death!

But It was so cute, almost all the way home Jia Tai sang a happy tune until he drifted to sleep in the last few minutes til reaching home. What a tremendous day!

Glorious Summer Time!

2008-07-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

Our back porch The first few cherry tomatoes
The first ripe strawberries

The most scrumptious smelling roses and not to mention beautiful!

Back yard
Back door

Ahhh... I woke up today and after fixing breakfast and doing up the dishes, I went out to water the garden. While I was watering, I thought how marvelous and wonderful God is to design millions of different plants and how astounding His beauty is. I felt overwhelmed with joy as I gazed at the garden. So I thought I would share some pictures of our garden and back yard.

Independence Day Celebrations!

2008-07-07T13:57:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a weekend! On the 4th we celebrated at the Wright's house with lots of fellowship, great food and some hilarious games! First up was the "Marshmallow Drive" the object of the game was to place a marshmallow on a tee and with a golf club send the marshmallow flying as far as you possibly could. This sounds like it wouldn't be too hard and I yes... even I... the most nonathletic person you have ever seen could maybe do this, so I gave it a shot. HA! Whatch the video below and see the results for yourself! Warning: You are about to see someone who should never hold a golf club again! We also played a water balloon toss and an egg toss. We had a marvelous time.

On the 5th we went to the Bradrick's Independence Day celebration at their farm. It did rain for a good portion of the day but we enjoyed ourselves and had a great time. It was so good to see Laurelle Michener and her family again and other people that we met at the Christian Heritage Conference in April. To start things off there were some short historical presentations and some very fun patriotic songs. Then we did a sack race, three legged race, tug of war and a water balloon toss. Yes... we were soaked and looked rather dishevled but we had so much fun! We dried off in the barn while we ate a delicious barbeque dinner. Afterwards came the pie contest. Melina and I each made a pie, Melina a pecan chocolate chip pie and I a lemon cream pie. When they announced the winners I could hardly believe my ears! I placed First in the non fruit catagory and Melina tied for Grand Prize! We were both so happy! The funny thing is, I made Melina's pie crust! She was in a hurry and saw that I had some extra pie dough in the freezer. So I will have to give her a bad time about it. :) Then we got to enjoy all the pies. Later we sang hymns around the camp fire and talked a little more. Most of the family went home but Melina and I stayed and went home with the O'Briens later. The day was so enjoyable! A huge thankyou to the Bradrick family and everyone else who helped make that day so memorable and fun. I am already looking forward to next year! I will post pics of this day soon our camera is having problems.

The Dapper Chap Bakery!

2008-06-30T20:39:00.001-07:00

Saturday was the opening day at the Grays Harbor Street Market for my little french bakery called "The Dapper Chap Bakery." Laurel and I spent all day sellling Pain au Chocolate, Almond Croissants, Blueberry Lemon Cream Cheese Brioche, Raspberry Almond Frangipane Brioche , Mozzarella and Basil Brioche and Honey Madeleines. I ended up selling out of everything but six croissants. I was so shocked when people started buying up my product. For some odd reason I guess I thought I had to fail before I could succeed. But praise God for his goodness, I could not have done it with out him. I am sure he is the one that brought all the customers! So I am planning on being at the market through the summer and who knows what will happen in the next years...but God is in control!

Last Day at Suzie's Cakes

2008-06-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

Friday was my last day of work at Suzie's Cakes. I was sad to leave and yet I felt it was time to move on and experience other things. I have learned so much working for Suzie and I could not be more thankful for all that she has taught me. She has been an amazing boss to me for the past 2 years and 10 months. I appreciate her giving me the opportunity to be one of her employees. Thankyou Suzie! Here are some pictures of my last day. Mom brought my two little brothers down to see me and get a treat.

What a trip!

2008-06-04T12:01:00.001-07:00

I don't have time to write now... but I did make an online photo album you can look through...
http://picasaweb.google.com/Claire.Backholm/NewYorkNewYorkTrevorSGraduationFromWestPoint

Enjoy,
Claire

New York! New York!

2008-05-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

Watch out New York cause here come the Backholms! Yep... we are leaving tonight and we will be gone a whole week. We are actually going to West Point, New York where our cousin is graduating from the military academy and we are so excited to celebrate is achievements. I am hoping to keep you updated daily with lots of pics and stories of the days happenings, but we'll see how much time I get. If not, I promise a complete overview of the trip when we return. Well... gotta' run, it is crazy around here!

Remodel

2008-05-13T20:00:00.001-07:00

Wyatt pulling up carpet

Mother's Day- Pear and Grandma Therese

Papa workin' away

Hmmm....Strawberry Jam!

Yesterday started the trek of remodeling part of the basement to make our wood shop bigger. Papa has taken the week off from his job and we are going at it like banshees. We had a very productive start to the week, we managed to make strawberry jam, do all the grocery shopping for the week, make bread, make two apple tarts, plant all our vegetable seeds and accomplish a boat load in the remodel project. And we were two men down!( well a guy and a girl,Wyatt and I are not at our best to say the least) To keep all the troops going we took a tea break, which consisted of warm fresh buttermilk bread with sparkling strawberry jam and strong English Breakfast tea. And then it was back to work. It felt so good to fall into bed last night but my alarm rang loud in my ear all too soon. :)

They Must Come OUT!

2008-05-07T13:37:00.000-07:00

Well... I am going to have surgery to remove my wisdom teeth tomorrow morning at 9:30am. I don't think it is possible to express how much the thought of this drives me crazy and makes me want to die. But I guess I have no choice in the mater. So I could use ALL your prayers for a safe surgery and quick recovery and some peace inside. I would really appreciate it!

It's Time For Country Dancing Again!

2008-05-05T06:01:00.001-07:00

That's right this Friday, May 9th from 7-9:00pm at Miller Junior High,we are going to be dancing away. So grab a waterbottle and your favorite skirt or jeans and come on out. It will be a great evening of fun for the whole family. Hope to see you there!

Rebelution Tour?

2008-04-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

Next Saturday we are going to the Rebelution Tour in Portland. I think that it is going to be really neat. Has anybody been to one?

Thanksgiving dinner in April?

2008-04-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

The wonderful aroma of turkey, stuffing and pie perfumed our home today. I guess you could say it is one of the strange habits of our family, but we delight in eating a turkey dinner at least three or four times a year. The weather today just called it out "it's a turkey day!" Most of my family at the dinner table

Jia Tai in his stylish pajamas; aren't they great?

Christian Heritage Conference

2008-04-22T06:04:00.000-07:00

What a grand weekend! We(our family)were able to attend the 3rd annual Christian Hertiage Conference and let me tell you we were not disappointed. It was a weekend filled with encouraging and thought provoking speakers, great fellowship and a wonderful chance to meet new families in Washington. We are already looking forward to next year! I especially enjoyed Jessica Erber's session on joyous purposful daughters, it reminded and inspired me to continue to be a faithful daughter.
Melina and I were able to sing in the chorale, which I think she would agree, it was so enjoyable and we both hope to be in it next year. We both really enjoyed Mr. Craig, the director of the chorale, and his ability to be so productive, getting us all on the same page in just a wee few hours. I truly stand amazed.

Well the clock is ticking and I must get going.

I encourage you all to check out Christian Heritage and to come to the conference next year, you will be impressed.

Extreme Bikers?

2008-04-15T20:38:00.000-07:00

Or maybe just ardent ones... The sky was generously peppered with clouds and showing signs of rain but Melina said we should ride our bikes to the market instead of sitting in a car wasting money.

I succumbed to her plan and off we rode, vivacious and ready for whatever was to come. We arrived at the first stop in good time and, it hadn't rained yet. Quickly we split up and gathered our groceries and upon paying the cashier waltzed out the door in a matter of minutes. We then loaded our bikes with ease and rode away to the produce stand. As soon as we had arrived, we spotted a huge box bursting with vegetables and fruits that needed to be used within the next couple of days. It was only THREE dollars! I am sure that there were at least 50 items in it. Our hearts raced at the sign of such a deal and we snatched it up without a second thought. We purchased a few other items and headed for the car... ohh...right we are on bikes.. We are on BIKES! How are we going to get all the beautiful pieces of produce home the the table? Now we've done it, I tried to reassure Melina that we could do this, nothing could deter us. After 15 minutes of pushing and prodding, squishing and squeezing and about 45 pounds later, we had our bikes packed up. I couldn't leave my bike to stand on it's own because it would just topple right over. We slowly started to the last stop, The Market Place, as it began to sprinkle. We already had the wind against us surely we didn't need the rain. Thankfully, there was a covered area to learn our bikes against while we bought the last items on our list. While in the store Melina said we should buy ourselves a little energy for the long perilous ride home. She didn't have to talk me into it. We walked out the door with a couple of bags and 4 dozen eggs. We tried to situate everything in a way that nothing would break or get squished and but everything seemed to stymie us. Finally, we got it. But the bikes were so hard to steer they seemed to have a mind of the own going every which way we didn't want them to go. So we just decided to eat our dream bars and hope for our vivacity to return. Well it didn't but home wasn't getting any closer, so we began the endeavor home at a very slow pace. The rain fell heavy for a a minute and then ceased but the ferocious wind kept letting us know it was there. Needless to say our trip home was about 5 times longer than the trip there. But we did make and our legs were like pieces of wet spaghetti when we arrived, but we made it! It really doesn't look like a lot in this picture but it was 78.5 pounds of groceries and two limp bodies. We were quiet happy to be home.

It's Jia Tai's 4th Birthday!

2008-04-14T07:04:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful weekend helping Stephen and Paige with their new house, celebrating Jia Tai's 4th birthday and planting up the gazoo. Ohh... and we also got our bikes back from storage which made my day.

Friday- We ended up going to Stephen and Paige's new house to help lay some counter tops. Well... I should say that Papa and Stephen layed the counter tops and the rest of us goofed off downtown and enjoyed sweet Pear. After the work was done, We had a great barbeque: steak, mashed potatoes, french bread, blue cheese and apple salad and black bottom cupcakes for dessert. Paige did most of the chef work but Stephen did the steaks. It was delicious!

Saturday- We ate breakfast outside then hopped to work. We planted, made raised beds, cleaned, organized and finished by sipping an iced white mocha in the sun.
Then we made a birthday cake and grilled hot dogs for Jia Tai's birthday. We ate and sang happy birthday and then Jia Tai went to bed... I guess having a birthday really took a toll on him. :)

It was such a fun and productive weekend!

Bellingham!

2008-04-03T14:03:00.001-07:00

My sisters and I have spent the last few days in Bellingham with my cousins. Melina is moving back to Aberdeen so we were mainly packing up her belongings and trying to cram them into her little car. Which was quiet a hilarious sight I must say. After packing we did have some fun though... we played countless rounds of Pinochle, (our favorite card game) sipped plenty of tea, and enjoyed a few days of quietness. One day we went out to lunch with my brother, Stephen, at a Thai restaurant called "On Rice." It was so delicious I wanted to keep eating and eating, but alas my stomach said "no more!" But I did manage to scarf down an ice cream cone from Mallards a few minutes later. What can I say, there always seems to be room for dessert. :)

I was able to see my newest cousin, Gweneth Ellen Foy, born March 15th. But I didn't have my camera so no pictures of the little cutie.

We purchased pastries at a nearby bakery called "The Mount Bakery" I highly recommend the almond croissant if you are ever in the neighborhood, it was very good.

Ahh... what a good time it was!

Laurel, cousin Candice, cousin Gabby

Stephen at "On Rice"

The must try Almond Croissant

Gabby sipping her tea

Laurel being weird

Happy Birthday Dad!

2008-03-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Jerry and Jia Tai

Jia Tai likes anything that you can eat off a stick!

\
Melina helping herself to some greek salad

Our dinner

Today we celebrated Dad's birthday. His birthday was actually March 23rd but since it was Easter we decided to celebrate later in the week. We had a great greek themed meal with-- lamb kabobs loaded with garlic, humus, tatziki, pita bread, traditional greek salad (tomatoes, kalamata olives, cucumber and feta cheese) and roasted potatoes. My brother, Stephen, did most of the cooking but it was a team effort at the end. It was an excellent meal bursting with flavor and leaving a wonderfully refreshing taste in your mouth. To finish the meal, we had a blackberry dessert, which did not mix into our greek theme but it was delightful. A sweet tart crust with a thick layer of vanilla pastry cream and topped with little wild blackberry sauce. Wow!! What a meal!

Later we took a stroll down the street as the sun was setting.

Zona Calda to play at 7th Street Theater!

2008-03-25T11:12:00.001-07:00

Come one, Come all... to a magnificent concert of Zona Calda!
This is going to be a really fun night... you can just sit back and enjoy! Zona Calda is a jazz quartet known for entertaining audiences of all ages with their swinging grooves and fresh takes on classic songs. The group is comprised of Boston native Doug Senibaldi, now of Aberdeen, Lew Chapman of South Bend, Doug Backholm of Aberdeen and Melina Backholm of Bellingham. Performing “Boho Jazz”, a term coined by the group to describe their eclectic repertoire, they cover tunes from jazz’s golden age, classic bossa nova, Motown and soul hits and current favorites from artists like Norah Jones and Diana Krall- in short, anything that the band loves. “We select as we go and anything a band member brings to the table is fair game”, says Melina Backholm, the group’s singer. “There have been some times that we tried a tune that just didn’t work, but through the process we allow ourselves to be creative. We’re usually pretty excited about the end result.” The band has years of pro experience with horn player Lew Chapman, retired from a career in the U.S. Army’s Jazz Ambassadors and Doug Senibaldi, a drummer who studied at Berklee School of Music and played sessions in L.A. and New York. Doug Backholm has built a loyal following of fans as well though he jokes that most of them are his kids; he’s the happy father of 7 children and one grandchild. Zona Calda (Italian for “Hot Spot”) has been playing together for nearly two years.

They will be playing at the Historic 7th Street Theater at 7:30pm March 29th, doors at 7:00.
So tell ALL of your friends and come and have a great time!

I'm an aunt again!

2008-03-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

I proud to announce that my brother, Stephen, and his wife, Paige, are going to have their second baby in November! I am so excited for them and pray for a healthy pregnancy. God Bless this new little one!

What would you do?

2008-03-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

Okay.. so I don't have much to write about... so I thought I would ask a question:

If you could do anything in the world, money being no object, what would it be?

Jia Tai sings the alphabet

2008-03-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

Jia Tai and I have been going over and over the alphabet and finally he got it! For the first time this morning he sang the alphabet all the way through by himself and we managed to capture this precious moment on video. :)

Yeehaa!

2008-03-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

The days are getting longer! I love having more time to be outside bike riding, gardening, camping, sailing and yes... gently toasting gooey marshmallows over a big bonfire. Ahh... it really is wonderful, isn't it?

Watch out state... here comes Laurel!

2008-03-07T17:18:00.001-08:00

Last night Laurel played in the Washington State Music Teachers Association (WSMTA) districts competition. She played outstandingly,there were a few brain bubbles, and she stopped a couple times but she hung on for all she was worth.(because a true muscian does not leave the bench until she or he's finished") Like the judge said, "it's not the person who plays all the right notes or doesn't mess up, it's the person who can get across what the composer was trying to say through the piece." But praise God she placed first! And will now go to the state WSMTA competition in June. I will try an upload the video of her playing sometime soon.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Country Dancing!

2008-03-04T15:39:00.000-08:00

This Friday, March 7th,from 7 -9pm, Miller Junior High we are having our bimonthly homeschool family Country Dancing! We do haymakers jig, virgina reel, posties and lots more.So if you are looking for some good fellowship and some fun dancing, grab a waterbottle and your favorite skirt or pair of blue jeans and come have some whole family fun! We usually go to Dairy Queen afterwards to get a refreshing treat!

See you then!

Claire

A quote

2008-03-04T13:12:00.001-08:00

A neat quote...

"The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them."

-- Mark Twain

Surprise!

2008-03-02T13:25:00.000-08:00

Pear Zinovia born on February 13th 2007

Just minutes before we were going to seat down to dinner we had a great surprise. My brother, Stephen, his wife, Paige, and daughter, Pear came waltzing in the door! We were so happy to see them and we had no idea they were coming (they live in Bellingham, Wa.) After we got back from the benefit concert, we ordered some food from a local restraunt and exchanged cheerful conversation until.. oh.. about 12 midnight. My eyes where so heavy I could hardly keep awake, I had been up since 5am.") But It was a wonderful night.

My niece, Pear, is absolutely adorable! She has the cutest little curl right in the front of her head. Each time I see her she is talking just a little bit more and she is almost walking. She is such a joy and her giggles have no end. ") Isn't she a cutie pie?

Jia Tai's Charm

2008-03-01T12:24:00.001-08:00

Just look at that smile... Jia Tai ,3, is the youngest in our family. He is really talking up a storm since his his second surgery last May. He is quite a charmer and loves to have you hold him and dance around with him. I am so glad he is MY brother and that God had him in store for us!

Claire

Haiti Arise Benefit Concert

2008-02-29T12:50:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 1st at 7pm, at the 7th Street Theater, there is a benefit concert for Haiti Arise. They are having some artists from around this area play a few songs each. My sister Melina and my dad will be playing a couple with their jazz band. It is going to be really neat and it is for a great cause. Please come and enjoy some great music and fellowship. You can purchase tickets at the door or you can buy them in advance at some local shops. So tell everyone you know and I will see you at the concert!

Sorry

2008-02-29T12:48:00.000-08:00

My pictures are all messed up... they are backwards in order and I can't figure out why they wont go where I want them. So start at the bottom to see the pictures in the right order.

Catering with O'briens

2008-02-29T11:55:00.000-08:00

The standing dare is to drink this concoction of every drink at the table poured into this pitcher... no one has done it yet ")
We dry each piece silverware by hand and each mug and each plate... let's see tonights small job consisted of about 330 pieces of silverware, only about 4 dozen mugs,( they had a coffee station) 250 plates.
A nice clean kitchen
Some tired employees and an exhausted employer

Lots of dirty plates
Our precious minutes to eat
hmmm... enjoy your meal Laurel!
Shawn stopped by and insisted that I put his picture up on my blog Mrs. O'Brien

Clearing plates
Plate srapings
Serving Dessert
I say "Good Show"
Can he do it?

Setting up the room
Filling water glasses
They call him the potato king
The O'briens should invest in smaller gloves ")
SALADS

I have worked for the O'Briens for let's see... 3 years and two weeks.... and I have not one picture of any of the jobs I have worked. So sad... So I decided that I must capture the great fun we have working together. Sorry... I have not quite figured out how to upload pictures in the right order and wear I want them...so bare with the unorderly fashion that they are on my blog.

Last night my sister, Laurel, Kate Sand and I worked for the local catering company "O'Briens Catering." I always have a great time working for them, they are such a godly couple and I can't be around them enough. In a way, they are kinda like my second parents. I love them dearly. Anyways, back to the joys of this job... first we set all the tables... napkins, silverware, glasses, salt & peppers. Then we venture back to the kitchen and prepare salads, cut the bread loaves, make up butter dishes, make gallons of coffee and do more food prep.

Then we serve dinner...tonight happened to be plate service... usually it is a buffet line. we serve salads and bread

then clear dishes, then we serve dinner and clear more dishes, then we serve dessert and clear more dishes. Then we come back to the kitchen and grab a quick bite to eat. After scarfing down some food, we begin attaking the piles of dishes and silverware and glasses and coffee mugs. After lots of soap and elbow grease the dishes are done, but the room still has to be cleared.

Later, after scraping ranch dressing of our aprons and hands ( people can sure be messy!) Pouring out coffee grounds and loading up the van... we are on our way to the O'Brien's house to unload. By this time we are usually dragging but we rely on funny comments and the memories of past jobs to keep us going. Finally it's empty and it is all put away. Another successful job!

Ballet Magnificat!

2008-02-28T14:11:00.000-08:00

If you only see one ballet in your entire life, I know just the one to see. Ballet Magnificat! is the world's premier christian ballet company based in Jackson, Mississippi. They perform stories from the Bible like"Ruth" and "The Prodigal Son" they also have done the story of Corrie Ten Boom. I saw them live in Auburn, Washington three Easters ago. It was so powerful and beautiful. It brings a whole new meaning to ballet. I was planing on going to their summer dance intensive this summer but it looks like it is not going to happen. But has been one of my dreams to dance with them ever since I can remember. I highly recommend that if you ever get a chance to see them "Don't pass it up!" It will change your life. If you would like a taste, check out these promo videos below. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh7MjnAHgPw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj86wv5Bj2o&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynHX4AqJavA&feature=related

Or visit their website at http://www.balletmagnificat.com/ and read all about them.

Spring Gardening

2008-02-28T13:34:00.000-08:00

The Peach Tree Above: The Green House
Below: a strawberry plant

Oh...I love this time of year! When you can be outside in the sweet spring air without getting drenched. My sister, Laurel, and I have started working to grow our garden this year. At the begining of the year we purchased a green house and placed an order with Territorial Seeds down in Oregon for our plants. We are going to try our hands at growing: lettuce, carrots, beets, tomatoes, kale, cucumbers, artichokes, green beans, rosemary, french tarragon, thyme, oregano, basil, figs, apples, raspberries (my favorite), blueberries, strawberries and a peach tree. I know... you are thinking we must be crazy but we are very excited to grow some very yummy produce for our family. I will keep my blog posted with pictures and info over the summer on how the gardens growing.

Carrot Cake!

2008-02-26T12:59:00.000-08:00

I am not usually fond of carrot cake but the piece I enjoyed a few minutes ago was exceptionaly delightful! A tender cake graced with the presence of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; bursting with carrots, raisins and almonds and exploding my taste buds with a rich cream cheese frosting. Wow! Truly a marvelous (and incredibly easy) treat!

My 17th Birthday!

2008-02-25T21:43:00.000-08:00

Last week, on the 17th to be precise, was my 17th birthday. I had a marvelous day of good food, family fun and beautiful weather! My brother Stephen, his wife Paige and my niece Pear came down for the weekend and to help celebrate. ( It also was my niece Pear's 1st birthday on the 13th, so we celebrated her birthday on the 16th.) My father and brothers took me out target shooting and I surprized myself when I actually hit the target more often than not! God has blessed me with so many things to be thankful for in my 17 years of life.

2008-02-25T21:31:00.001-08:00

Okay... so I am new to the whole blogging world but I hope to become better at it with a little practice. So jump in and hang on for an exciting ride through my life!