Presentation

I am putting together an End-of-the-Year presentation on effective communication for the office and ran across this....



I miss Calvin and Hobbes....

E

Getting Our Tree

Last weekend we finally got our Christmas tree. We found this All-Noble-Fir farm about 15 minutes from our house. How awesome is that? Usually the noble fir pickings are slim at these u-cut farms. So I was thrilled to have so much selection. We found our tree in less than 10 minutes (we were limited to a small tree this year due to space restrictions)....

Christmas Cheer: Peppermint Mocha and a Christmas Tree Saw

Look at all the noble firs! That is Happy Land for an Ozaine!

The classic...dad carrying the tree.

It took us about two days to get the change to actually decorate the tree. But we managed.

He doesn't exactly have to stretch to decorate a tree. He's my own little Abominable Snowman who can put the star on top of the tree.

I, on the other hand, have to stretch.

Unemployed and Self-Employed

Sorry it has been a while since we posted. Christmas season is crazy as always, and it was made especially crazy by the fact that I was wrapping up my 9 years with Ellen Fichen Design. I'm now officially unemployed...and self-employed (I'll continue to work my design business). Eli is due in 4 weeks and I figured it was best to end my time with Ellen at the end of the year. So last Friday was my last day. And I'll tell you, it was a strange, strange day.

I don't know how you just leave a job that you have been working (very happily) for 1/3 of your life. It isn't like I'm off to another, more exciting career or that I'm leaving disgruntled. I left because this alien creature inside me is going to come out soon and, although I have no idea what is in store for me once it comes out, all I know is that suddenly I turn into a mom! Holy cow. I have no idea how to be a mom. I don't know how to give birth! I don't know how to nurse! All I know how to do is what I've been doing for 9 years. I just walked away from the "known" into the "unknown".

Of course I'm very happy about all this...............I think.............I mean, of course I am but I'm also a bit on the nervous side of things. I'm more nervous about the next 4 weeks than anything else. I'm totally excited to meet Eli. I'm totally excited to be a mom, even though I don't know how. But I have to admit that I'm not totally excited to sit around my house for 4 weeks twiddling my thumbs and waiting. You see, my life is fast paced. It goes and goes and never stops. I'm never at home, I only have time to check my voicemail once-a-week (working on that, btw), I eat dinner at 9pm, I've lost almost all my hobbies over the years because I simply don't have time........and now, for four weeks, time is on my side and I have no idea what to do with it!

I suppose most people would be jumping for joy to be in this position, so I keep asking myself "why are you so unnerved about actually having time on your side?" and I realized just this weekend why....

I'm in my third trimester, I'm tired, I'm round and move awkwardly, I can hardly breathe because this little baby is spooning with my lungs, etc....all this is a recipe for becoming a lethargic lazy bum. That is the last thing in the world that I could want to be.

So there is my challenge to myself: Take 4 weeks to rest up before the baby comes, but don't turn into a lazy bum. Not a CLUE how to pull that one off...but here I go...

The "too much time - not enough energy" rocket has launched....

Survey Says....

Go take this 5 minutes survey and then come back and tell me what you ranked first and second. Not surprisingly, I came in Tom Tancredo and Ron Paul, separated by a point.

http://www.kcpw.org/select-a-candidate

It is not a perfect survey but a great educational and conversation piece...

E

A Soldiers Christmas

There is a new Christmas song out there - I don't know who it is from - but it has got to me both times I heard it. Below are the lyrics:

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE, JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES, AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT, IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER, ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE, THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD, THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS, LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY, THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS, SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT,
MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.

Remember

So folks may not be aware that we got a lot of rain recently. A lot. So much they are plowing it out...

As humorous as that is, a lot of folks have been affected by this storm. I try to put myself in their situation where my home and job could have been flooded away and it is tough. Especially with the holidays so close. If you are in a situation where you can help, I hope you will.

http://www.salvationarmynw.org/

Once You Dream it is Possible...

I have been taking a lot of flack for being a Ron Paul guy lately. And in large part I laugh and roll with the punches. After all, your friends are a reflection of your values and the freak show does roll in for a lot of RP events. It is entertaining for everyone. :)

However the thing that bugs me most is the frequent comment that RP simply can't win. Pardon me for being a grammar snob, but he can win. It is in the realm of possibility that Ron Paul could win. It is legally an option. For some it is morally and ethically an option. Increasingly it is looking like a financially possible scenario. Politically it is a long shot - but there a vast chasm between "can't win" and "not likely to win".

Which begs the question - why does everyone feel the obvious need to be a political expert and render the verdict "can't win" so flippantly? Laziness in speech comes to mind. Maybe they don't want him to win. Maybe (for those that think we didn't go to the moon) there is something more sinister behind it...

So - in private musing - I think it is possible. And the more one thinks it is possible, the more one sees it is probably. RP is my man. A man in the political world but not of the political world. The more you read about him - you will realize he is not sold out to special interests. He is a simple man who truly believes in government of people, for the people - not for lobbyists and special interests...

ttyl, E

Live From New York

No - it is not Saturday Night Live. But this blog is coming to free courtesy of the wireless service provided by Jet Blue in JFK Terminal in NYC. It has been a long but good trip to the East Coast.

This morning, after a long night of networking - aka partying - Jonathan (a co-worker) decided to get another state under our belt. So - fighting a lack of sleep, I went and got a rental car and we drove to New Hampshire.

I did see a couple Ron Paul signs in the Live Free or Die state. It is very pretty - but COLD. They told us the high was going to be 22 degrees. However the local banks were showing 29 degrees. And very windy.

I am looking forward to seeing my wife and sleeping in my own room...

E

Budget

While taking a walk we ran across this car and had to take a picture. How ironic!

Live from Portland

State number 45 down for me as I attend a business conference in Maine.

Good times - had steak and their famous lobster last night. :)

That Portland to Portland red-eye flight is tough. I think I was running on 2 hours of sleep at the end of 2 days yesterday.

Got to run - more later. E

Welcome - GOP PCO

Breaking news - the GOP nominated a new PCO to precinct 335 - and it is me! :)

It was a grueling race but I managed to come out ahead. The race consisted of really quality candidates: me, me, and me. I am humbled to have won...

For those who do not know what a PCO is - no worries. I did not either until a week ago. ..

ttyl, Eric

Autumn Walk

Eric and I have a little traditional several-mile-walk that we take all the time. We start off at Officer's Row in Vancouver (our little apartment was a block away - thus how the tradition began), walk through downtown Vancouver (stopping at Starbucks for coffee) and then over to the Colombia River waterfront and back. We especially love this walk during the fall. As soon as leaves start falling all I can think of is taking a stroll through the fallen leaves of Officer's Row. Of course, this walk nearly kills Greta. Poor fat lard can heaves for air, tongue all the way to the ground, literally being pulled by the leash to keep going.

Here are some photos from our last stroll (waterfront behind us)...

Eric's Girls: Me and our Fat Lard

Shaunna's Personal Giants: My husband and my Fat Lard

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.

I did not come up with that, in case you are wondering. :) Two more I liked:

Seeds of discouragement will not grow in the thankful heart.--Anonymous

Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some.--Charles Dickens

Shaunna and I year find ourselves deeply thankful to God and our friends for how richly we have been blessed as the year ends. We can only hope to be grateful and content as the exciting potential of a New Year unfolds. ttyl, Eric

Thanksgiving Thoughts!

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

A few pictures

I wanted to throw a few quick pictures on of a few things that have been keeping us busy:

Shaunna's Note: Those cheesy curtains aren't staying...but we don't have blinds yet so we needed something on the window for now. Talk about high-water curtains!

The new nursery with HAND painted stripes. Yes - I know - we are crazy.

And the ugly rocking chair cushions are being recovered too. Nice Craigslist find though.

But they came out looking awesome. And thanks to Miller Paint - who has a new VOC (aka bad for baby chemicals) free paint we are able to enjoy the work of Shaunna's very steady hand.

And in case you you see this politico - wacko on the road...

its me...

:)

Eric

Our Anniversary

On October 2nd we celebrated our 3rd anniversary. We took a weekend trip to Lincoln City (a vacation we had won through Eric's work last year). We stayed right on the water; it was beautiful despite the horrendous weather we had.

A king sized bed...we have no idea how couples can sleep on a king! I felt like I spent the whole night stretching and straining to find and cuddle up with him.

What we look forward to the most when staying at a hotel...CABLE! It's life's simple pleasures. And boy did we enjoy the unusually large tv...and the gas fireplace. Felt very homey.

We spent one afternoon at the Newport Beach Aquarium. We had been there before, but it was still fun. Here are some photos. Sorry, Eric had the camera so most pictures are of me.

These are Japanese crabs. They're bigger than our great dane. A little too much like spiders for my comfort. Not sure how I managed a smile for this picture. I was creeped out.
The otter who refused to wake up from his nap to smile for our picture.
Eric's anniversary gift (he had lost his wedding ring and I bought him a matching one):

My anniversary gift...3-diamond (for 3 years) necklace.
The Happy Couple:

My Vote - Ron Paul

For those of you who have not heard - I am voting for Ron Paul in the primary. A lot folks are saying he can't win. It is sad - because I think Paul would have a harder time in the primary than in the general election. Quite frankly I don't think any of the Republican candidates get it. Except for Paul. He is not status quo and never has been. The other candidates talk doing something different - Paul has been doing it. I am reading his book and it has been intersting. He is not the polished politician. Quite frankly, he could use a couple sessions in Toastmasters. But I find that refreshing. He is guy campaigning for something, rather than against something (or someone)

Brief Overview of Congressman Paul’s Record:

He has never voted to raise taxes.
He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
He has never taken a government-paid junket.
He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
He voted against the Patriot Act.
He voted against regulating the Internet.
He voted against the Iraq war.
He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S.
treasury every year.

Ron Paul is a gynecologist who has delivered more than 4,000 babies and has
never wavered on his pro-life position. It's who he is.

Ron Paul, the man from Washington with no scandals, has been married
faithfully to the same woman for 45 years, loves America with a passion.

More on this later...

Eric

Back - Months Later

Well, as it has been pointed out to us, we haven't exactly been very good at keeping up with our website. There are a thousand reasons for it (or at least a couple dozen) - our camera broke, I had morning sickness for 5 months and spent all my "leisure" time kneeling at the porcelain throne (or with my face shoved in emergency zip-lock bags while sitting in traffic), and...and...and...the list keeps going.

But now we're settling down a little. Just in time for our son to be born (due in 9 weeks) and for the holiday craziness to kick in. So we've decided it's time to get back online. We've given up on our website and have decided to join the easier realm of blogging. This might inspire more consistency.

For now, here is an update on our autumn:

One evening we discovered that our dog can eat an entire loaf of french bread in less than 2 minutes. She stole the loaf off the counter when our backs were turned and absolutely inhaled it. I still can't believe ANYTHING (even a dane) can eat so much bread so quickly. This is Eric disciplining her, making her submissively afraid of bread (her consistent weakness):

Learning to be near bread without licking her chops (although we assume she could smell the bread over those muddy boots - ew):

Here I am at 5 months - quite obviously still sick as a dog. I stayed this size pretty much up until recently. People at church even stated to get concerned and ask Eric, "Is she still pregnant?" Even at almost 8 months, my total weight gain has been, um, 3 lbs!
Yup, I was that sick:

Here is Eli's very first piece of mail. Auntie LeAnne sent him a cute froggy outfit and hat.

The next day he got another package in the mail. Grandma Debby sent him a little basketball outfit that should fit him for Hoopfest 2008.


Finally really "showing" at 7 months...I have the pointiest belly on the planet and it isn't my belly button - its the baby! I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to give birth to a YIELD sign.

Well that's it for now. More to come soon.

~Shaunna

Testing One Two Three

We are listening to the requests of our friends and family and looking to get a blog going again soon.

Working on style and formatting now.

More to come shortly