Field Day 2013

I was able to take a day off of work to help Ethan's school with Field Day and oh what a fun time they had.  Mr. Z, the PE teacher, had 15 different field activities set up for the event and I tagged along with Ethan's class after helping get it set up.  It was also crazy hat & sock day at school for Spirit week. 

 The kid in the black shirt is Ethan's babysitter, Joel.  He is an awesome kid who Ethan really enjoys spending time with.  He is an 8th grader and will be graduating from St. Therese this year and starting high school in the fall. 

 Ethan's turn at walking with the balloon between his legs...funny as could be and he popped 4 balloons before even walking 10 feet. 

 Tug-o-war...Ethan's teacher, Ms. Brocka is in the picture below.  He will still get to see her next year but will miss having her as his teacher. 

New roof

Such a dreaded task that we put off for many many years, but the time finally came and now we have a new spectacular roof, for which I won't pray each time it rains that we don't have a leak.  Our house and garage both had 3 layers of shingles as well as rotted wood slats underneath so it was quite a task for the crew doing the job.

Before - it doesn't look so bad this far back, however, up close was definitely in need of repair.  The garage was even worse.

 We always have a great helper.

 We had to strip off the wood on the edge and underneath and replace it on the roof before they replaced the roof.

 New roof looks so much better than before.

Day 28, Tuesday: Only pictures

Day 27, Monday: A letter to your readers

Dear Readers,

My intent for this blog is to use it as my journal.  To show the highlights and lows of our life so that as Ethan grows up he can look back and reflect on all that we have done.  It brings me happiness to look back over pictures and events I have written about knowing of the great memories he will have as he gets older.

I hope you enjoy it!

Sincerely,

Kate aka Mommy

p.s.  On a side note, Jeff and I met 18 years ago today...the best ATV ride I have been on.

Day 26, Sunday: Something you read online. Leave a link and discuss, if you'd like.

I don't read too much online but I do regularly check out the news and weather on www.fox12oregon.com.  Today there was a link to an article on NBC.com about a town in Oregon having 21 valedictorians.  As Jeff was the salutatorian of his class, which is the second best, we had a discussion on our thoughts about the article and likened it to everyone gets a trophy merely because you played, so essentially the title for "the best" is tainted. 

http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/02/18660734-were-all-no-1-is-21-valedictorians-too-many?lite

Day 25, Saturday: Something someone told you about yourself that you'll never forget (good or bad)

Many years ago while working in home-health while Jeff and I lived in Salt Lake City, I had been caring for a lady who all I did for her was grocery shop.  After several weeks of grocery shopping for her, she called into the office asking to have a different home-health aide, stating that I was too efficient and did her shopping too fast.  I wasn't sure how to take that and it has bothered me for nearly 15 years.  

Day 24, Friday: Your top 3 worst traits

1.   I talk to much.  Always have and always will.
2.   I get irritated easily.
3.   Control issues.

Day 23, Thursday: Things you've learned that school won't teach you

*  True friends are there no matter the circumstances.
*  Some people never change.
*  Hard work does pay off and is a necessity in life.
*  Be yourself.

Day 22, Wednesday: Rant about something. Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel. (a pet peeve, a current event, a controversial topic, something your husband or roommate or neighbor or boss does that really ticks you off)

Haha - there are many things I could rant about, how do I limit it to just one?!?

I would have to go with the constant noise of picking of fingernails (both J and E do this) and my dogs licking themselves....they wake me up in the middle of the night with these noises and make me want to throw things.

Day 21, Tuesday: A list of links to your favorite posts in your archives

Yeah - Pretty sure I don't have that kind of time so feel free to peruse through the last 5 years of posts and smile, cry, and laugh.

Day 20, Monday: Get real. Share something you're struggling with right now.

Keeping my house clean.  I don't know how mom's who work full-time are able to get all of life's demands done and still be same.  I am having a hard time with it and I work 3/4-time.  Prior to having Ethan there was much more free time even working full-time to clean, do yard work, and throw in the occasional me time, exercising or date night.  Now I feel like I am running constantly, which I will probably need to learn to run much faster as the years go by so I shouldn't complain, however, I have had to learn to just pick-up the house with the occasional deeper clean rather than being such a clean freak all the time, and slowly but surely Ethan is learning to help out with household chores to make all our lives a little less hectic.    

Day 19, Sunday: Five of your favorite blogs and what you love about them

I haven't had a lot of spare time to follow any of the blogs I have in the past other than two of my besties, which has been a great way to keep up with their little families while we are all so busy right now:

Amy @ http://www.poopsiespage.com/

Nicole @ http://springersspot.blogspot.com/

Day 18, Saturday: Tell a story from your childhood. Dig deep and try to be descriptive about what you remember and how you felt.

My grandparents lived in Idaho and among many things were potato farmers.  I remember many great things about going to visit them, especially spending time with my grandma.  My grandma had the best laugh, which was contagious.  When my grandma laughed she would close her eyes and tip her head back as if whatever she was laughing about was the funniest thing she had heard.  She also passed that onto my dad and every time he laughs it reminds me of her.  I remember her having these old books of paper dolls with outfits that she would help me cut out.  She also baked the absolute best homemade bread and Brazelis (a Swiss cookie).  You knew you were loved.  

Day 17, Friday: A favorite photo of yourself and why

This picture is probably one of my favorites.  With me is my youngest brother, Doug.  He is almost 5 years younger than me and one of my best friends.  We can talk about anything and I know I can always count on him.  We took this photo while together at Christmas 2011 just before embarking on climbing the 5-miles round-trip to Angel's Landing in Zion National Park.  I hadn't hiked this hike in close to 15 years and was excited to get to accomplish it once again with Doug and my dad by my side.  Love you Doug!!

View from the top

Day 16, Thursday: Something difficult about your "lot in life" and how you're working to overcome it

Wow, this will take me a bit of time to figure out so may have to come back to this one.

Day 15, Wednesday: A Day in the life (include photos from throughout your typical day - this could be "a photo an hour" if you'd like)

4am         Wake-up
5:20         Leave for work
6am-1pm Work @ OHSU
2pm          Exercise
3pm          Pick up Ethan from school
6pm          T-ball game or practice
8pm          Reading time with Ethan
8:45-9:30  Watch TV for a few minutes before drifting off to sleep.

Day 14, Tuesday: Ten things that make you really happy

1.  Jeff & Ethan
2.  Music
3.  Laughter
4.  Reminiscing with friends & family
5.  A clean house
6.  Comfy shoes
7.  To be many pounds lighter in the coming months
8.   Pedicure
9.  Accomplishing a goal
10.  Listening to Ethan read to me

Day 13, Monday: Issue a public apology. This can be as funny or as serious or as creative as you want it to be.

I am going to have to somewhat copy Amy on this and apology to Mr. C______ (Crap, I can't even remember his name).  I was AWFUL.  He was my geometry teacher my senior year of high school and I hated his class.  I was kicked out regularly, for which many times my mom, who worked a block away, would have to come get me, as I was being a complete bitch, sitting on the heat vent next to the desk instead of in the chair, talking constantly...and I could go on and on.  My senior year was rough.  My best friend since 5th grade had moved to Oregon over the summer with a guy she barely new and her parents got a divorce, my Grandma had died just as my Senior year had started, I didn't have many friends and I truly would have rather been anywhere but there.  I finally remembered his name.....Mr. Calhoon.  So again, sorry I was so disrespectful, but I still don't care about degrees of angles, etc.

Day 12, Sunday: What do you miss? (a person, a thing, a place, a time of your life...)

My Grandma Berg.  Many fond memories of spending time with her while growing up.  She passed away a couple of weeks after I started my Senior year of high school (20 years ago this September) and sad that she never got to meet her youngest grandchildren or any of her great-grandchildren, but know I will see her again some day feeling so much better than she did the last few years of her life.

Day 11, Saturday: Sell yourself in 10 words or less

Talkative, to-the-point, determined, multi-tasker, helpful, clean-freak, and organized.

Day 10, Friday: Most embarrassing moment (s). Spill.

I have had a few embarrassing moments in life but am usually pretty good a laughing them off.  One was a couple of years ago, right I had just started Ethan in his first preschool.  I still worked at home at the time so I put him in a preschool that was only a couple hours a day three times a week.  He had been there for a couple of weeks and all seemed to be going well until the weather started to get warmer outside and they were playing outside one morning.  I came to pick him up and the teacher pulled me aside to say that Ethan had gotten in trouble this morning.  Apparently while they were playing outside, Ethan didn't tell anyone that he needed to got to the bathroom, and pulled out his penis and peed in the middle of the playground.  I am pretty sure I turned beet red and was completely mortified, but also trying to hold in my laughter.  

Day 9, Thursday: A moment in your day (this can be just a photo or both a photo and words)

4 am - it comes really early but would rather do it than miss out on the afternoon with my boy.

Day 8, Wednesday: A piece of advice you have for others. Anything at all.

1.  Laugh - sometimes it is all you can do.
2.  Take time for yourself.
3.  Make the most of the situation, you usually only get one chance.

Day 7, Tuesday: The thing(s) you're most afraid of

1.  Spiders & bugs.  I have to really ramp myself up to kill a spider, it is down right comical.  Unfortunately, Ethan also has the same fear so there is no hope for us unless there is a vacuum nearby or daddy is home.
2.  Mice.  Fast & creepy little critters.

Day 6, Monday: If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question, 'what do you do'?

I actually have two jobs.  My job title is a PAS Specialist.  My main job is for the Perinatology Clinic at OHSU, where I am part of the front office staff.  My second job is the administrative assistant for Childbirth Education, also at OHSU, where I take care of all the registration and administrative duties relating to childbirth classes.    While 4:00 am comes extremely early, I enjoy working so early in the morning by myself and also getting off work at 1pm to have a short while to myself before picking Ethan up from school.

Day 5, Sunday: Publicly profess your love and devotion for one of your blogger friends. What makes them great? Why do you love them? If you don't have blogger friends, talk about a real-life friend or even a family member

I haven't been able to write on my own blog let alone read someone elses, so my favorite internet viewing is Coach Samm.  I found her on facebook a few weeks ago and have liked her every since.  She posts several challenges, along with nutritional and health information such as the squat, plank, and push-up challenges I am currently working on, and has been a good motivator with my quest to become a healthier person.  

Day 4

Day 4, Saturday: Favorite quote (from a person, from a book, etc) and why you love it

I have two favorites:

 “Our task is to become our best selves. One of God's greatest gifts to us is the joy of trying again, for no failure ever need be final.”
― Thomas S. Monson

30 days of May

I am copying this from one of my besties, who copied it from someone else, and figured since I haven't been able to blog much since I started working out of the house I will give it my best effort.

Day 1, Wednesday: The story of your life in 250 words or less (or one paragraph... no one will be counting your words... probably)

The story of my life:  My name is Kae Lynn Berg Hadley, named after both of my parents.  I however, have gone by Katie or Kate almost my entire life.  I was raised in Utah with two younger brothers, spending half my life (until I was almost 10) in Salt Lake City, then we moved to Hurricane (entrance to Zion National Park and 100 degrees regularly) until I was 20, when I married my love, Jeff Hadley, and we moved back to SLC for him to attend the U of U.  A year and a half later we pack all that we owned and moved to Portland, Oregon, where we have been since.  Fast forward 8 years and we had an overly talkative, creative, and energetic baby boy, whom will turn 6 in just a couple of months and whom we love more than anything.  We also have two boxers, who contribute to the crazy.  I love hot weather (was raised in the desert).  Miss the smell of rain (even thought rain is a constant in Oregon there is rarely a smell to it).  Miss living near my family but love living independent of them.  I am tell-it-like-it is, sarcastic, and opinionated girl who believes laughing can cure almost anything, and true friends are hard to come.  There you have it, ME in a nutshell.

Day 2, Thursday: Educate us on something you know a lot about or are good at. Take any approach you'd like (serious and educational or funny and sarcastic)

I think I am pretty good at organization (Type A personality screaming through).  Nothing to me is better than have things orderly and tidy without having to constantly be looking for something or feeling like chaos surrounds me.  Unfortunately for me, Ethan has challenged that part of my personality for sure but hopefully in the near future we can start to work on that.

Day 3, Friday: Things that make you uncomfortable

Being late - It makes me very anxious, regardless of where I might be going.  I set the clock in my car 15 minutes fast, which Jeff complains about constantly, but it is a mental thing for me and it never hurts to have a couple of extra minutes.
Clothes - I can be really picky about clothes and may try on several items a day.  It has to be comfy or I will fidget with it the whole time and be miserable.

Do you want to join me?
Day 1, Wednesday: The story of your life in 250 words or less (or one paragraph... no one will be counting your words... probably)
Day 2, Thursday: Educate us on something you know alot about or are good at. Take any approach you'd like (serious and educational or funny and sarcastic)
Day 3, Friday: Things that make you uncomfortable
Day 4, Saturday: Favorite quote (from a person, from a book, etc) and why you love it
Day 5, Sunday: Publicly profess your love and devotion for one of your blogger friends. What makes them great? Why do you love them? If you don't have blogger friends, talk about a real-life friend or even a family member
Day 6, Monday: If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question, 'what do you do'?
Day 7, Tuesday: The thing(s) you're most afraid of
Day 8, Wednesday: A piece of advice you have for others. Anything at all.
Day 9, Thursday: A moment in your day (this can be just a photo or both a photo and words)
Day 10, Friday: Most embarrassing moment (s). Spill.
Day 11, Saturday: Sell yourself in 10 words or less
Day 12, Sunday: What do you miss? (a person, a thing, a place, a time of your life...)
Day 13, Monday: Issue a public apology. This can be as funny or as serious or as creative as you want it to be.
Day 14, Tuesday: Ten things that make you really happy
Day 15, Wednesday: A Day in the life (include photos from throughout your typical day - this could be "a photo an hour" if you'd like)
Day 16, Thursday: Something difficult about your "lot in life" and how you're working to overcome it
Day 17, Friday: A favorite photo of yourself and why
Day 18, Saturday: Tell a story from your childhood. Dig deep and try to be descriptive about what you remember and how you felt.
Day 19, Sunday: Five of your favorite blogs and what you love about them
Day 20, Monday: Get real. Share something you're struggling with right now.
Day 21, Tuesday: A list of links to your favorite posts in your archives
Day 22, Wednesday: Rant about something. Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel. (a pet peeve, a current event, a controversial topic, something your husband or roommate or neighbor or boss does that really ticks you off)
Day 23, Thursday: Things you've learned that school won't teach you
Day 24, Friday: Your top 3 worst traits
Day 25, Saturday: Something someone told you about yourself that you'll never forget (good or bad)
Day 26, Sunday: Something you read online. Leave a link and discuss, if you'd like.
Day 27, Monday: A letter to your readers
Day 28, Tuesday: Only pictures
Day 29, Wednesday: Five songs or pieces of music that speak to you or bring back memories. Use Grooveshark or YouTube to include them in the post
Day 30, Thursday: React to this term: Letting Go
Day 31, Friday: A vivid memory