As Time Goes By...

Our Newest Addition

2009-10-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of the recent addition to our family! We call him "Duke" but his official name is Your Grace, The Duke of Tahoma. David has been waiting many years for a dog and he says it was worth the wait! He is planning on training him for hunting. The kids love him and spend as much time with him as possible!

Welcome Home USS Stennis!

2009-08-05T18:09:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, the USS Stennis arrived home after being away for six months. We thought they deserved a good welcome home and we were in need of a grand adventure! The Ng family kindly picked up the oldest 4 Pollock children and James (little ones were swimming at Grandma's house) at 5:20am. We headed out to the little town of Manchester which sits right on the water and we knew the ship would be coming through. As we approached the town we saw the ship coming with all the sailors in dress whites outlining the deck. We raced to Manchester State Park where we knew we could stand on the beach. The boys grabbed flags and a home-made banner and raced down to the water. We arrived just in time....the ship was coming around the point. With cheers, waving flags and arms we warmly welcomed them home. As the ship sailed by we jumped back into the van and drove toward Port Orchard, stopping at three more spots to wave flags. Here are some pics from that morning.

Celebrating the Queen's Birthday

2009-07-02T07:35:00.000-07:00

I have not posted many re-enacting pictures this year. Here are some pictures from Queen Victoria's Birthday celebration in May. It was very common that everyone celebrated the Queen's birthday. Most of the laborers were given a day off and had a big party and dance. So, this event displays much of the entertainment forms of the 19th century. Dancing, music, croquet, games, singing etc.

Playing croquet to celebrate the Queen's birthday

Two Pipers. No, David did not play :(

Some of the fort ladies, chatting and wearing their lovely dresses!

Dr. Tolmie, the manager of the Fort

Not sure what the "working class" girls are doing on the Tolmie's porch!

19th century table setting display in one of our new buildings

Fiddle

Musicans....and without them.....no one.....could........

DANCE!!!

Virginia Reel

Ending the day with the traditional waltz

Gracie being introduced to the Fort's newest members

James meeting the Fort's "chicks."

Hannah, enjoying the little guys

My Crazy Life

2009-06-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe it has been so long since I have made a post. I have all kinds of pictures to post and will post them when I have time. I am sure most of you know about my Dad and everything our family has been going through. I usually update bryanpollock.blogspot.com more often then anything else. Once things are back to normal around here, I hope to return to blogging more frequently.

Love Story

2009-05-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

This is an amazing rendition of Taylor Swift's "Love Story." I don't really like Taylor Swift or even "Love Story" but this version is beautiful and these musicans.....amazing. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

James 2nd Birthday

2009-03-11T16:23:00.001-07:00

James celebrated his 2nd birthday last week. It is pretty amazing to think that 2 years of his life have already come and gone! Time does fly by!

We actually celebrated on two different days. Our grandparents came to visit the day before his real birthday, so we celebrated with them and had a family celebration on his real day. Here are some pictures:Opening his present from Grandpa and Grandma"Clothes: It's what I've always wanted!"He needed help opening this oneWhat could it be?His very own tool box!He put it to work right away--trying to fix the broken box!All the pieces

Yummy cupcakes!

The first bite...

The next day, we had a small family celebration. I made a farm cake and we kind of made everything a farm theme. He had a great time and could not wait for the cake!

Having a "bubble bath!"

Waiting for dinner...

His new shirt from Grandma. Very appropriate!

Another present...

Army clothes!

His siblings enjoyed his new toys as well!

The farm cake

He had been practicing blowing for a long time and was ready to do it for real!

A rather large bite!

The tired birthday boy!

ER Visit with Grace

2009-02-25T09:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, while Mom and Dad were at chemo, Grace fell and gashed her forehead pretty bad. She came to me, covered in blood and blood still gushing from her head. I realized that head injuries tend to bleed a lot but I also felt that this was a bad one!

Thankfully, Mrs. Raymond was here dropping off a dinner for our family and offered to help in any way. After talking to my mom on the phone, we decided to take her to the ER. So, we scooped her up and Mrs. Raymond drove us to the ER. We arrived, and the waiting room was pretty full--what's new for Mary Bridge! I had to deal with a bureaucratic check-in woman who was really rude--I was already pretty worked up and she made things so much worse! We then waited for an hour, the whole time getting stares. I am sure people were wondering how we were all related and why is that woman wearing an apron! In all the hurry, Mrs. Raymond was still wearing her apron!

We were then called back for vitals and saw the triage nurse, who thought I was Gracie's Mom. : ) She told us it would be a long wait, but 20 min later they took us back to a room. We then saw another nurse who checked her all out and put some numbing medicine on the wound. She told us it had to sit there for 20 minutes. She asked Grace if she had taken anything and Grace informed her she had taken some Arnica. I was cringing--knowing that homeopathic doesn't go over too well in the hospital. The nurse told her that it was great stuff and had been telling someone about it just recently. I was so thankful! A few minutes later, a student came in and did the same examinations and asked all the same questions--"How did this happen?" "Are you Mom (to me)?" "Where is Grace's Mom?" I don't know how many people listened to Grace's heart, examined her body and asked her how she got her cut. She was an excellent trooper and let everyone poke and prod! I felt like telling them to leave the poor girl alone! After everything she already went through, she did not need everyone bothering her.

About an hour later, the Dr. finally came in with the student. Turns out the Dr. was one we had seen years before--that trip she asked Mom and I if we were Amish! :) I am sure she again thought something was wrong with us. You probably don't see ladies in skirts and modest dress in the ER very often! After the string of questions again and wondering how I could be the sister when we looked so much alike, (I felt like giving them a little lesson on genetics--sisters have the exact same genetic make-up, whereas the mother would only have half the same genetics as the daughter. So, there is a pretty good chance that sisters would look alike! ) and comments on how Grace is so adorable, they finally put their stuff together and got down to business.

Grace is so highly sensitive and I am sure some of the numbing medicine had worn off because of the length of time, so each time they tried to irrigate, she would jump. They paused the irrigation and injected more numbing medication. After that she seemed to not feel as much. The Dr. pulled out all her supplies and sewed up the wound. It took eight stitches and Grace was pretty worn out when everything was done. The Dr. told me to apply Arnica oil, which I could purchase at a health food store, and Basatracin to the wound as much as possibly. She told me the oil is really healing and should help with the scar! So, perhaps the medical community is now seeing some good in the homeopathic remedies! The Dr. offered stickers--wondered if she would like Dora or Scooby Doo stickers. Grace looked at her blankly and said she didn't know. The Dr. asked if she watched TV, I told her no. Grace was then offered an Otter Pop, which she refused and the Dr. mentioned how she was a strange child! :) So here we were, a cute little girl who does not watch TV, refuses popsicles and was extremely polite, coming to the hospital with her sister who was wearing a skirt and was femininely and modestly dressed and the family friend who was also modestly dressed and wearing an apron! I was wondering what they all thought!

I was so thankful to be done and walk out of there! I really hate the hospital and don't like spending any time there at all. I now have another story to tell and it was some really good bonding time for Grace and I. It was a challenge to overcome my fear of blood and injury, but as I look back on everything, I realize I was operating on adrenalin and the strength of the Lord. He is able to give us grace and strength to address any situation.

Tagged: Movie Quotes

2009-02-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

Melissa tagged me awhile ago. Here are some movie quotes. Hope you all can figure them out!

1. Pick 15 of your favorite movies.
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them here for everyone to guess.
4. When someone guesses correctly, write the name of the movie above the quote.
5. NO Googling, using IMDb search, or other search functions.
6. Tag 5 people.

Casablanca ~ Cassie
#1 1st person: [laughs ironically] With the whole world crumbling, we pick this time to fall in love.
2nd person: Yeah, it's pretty bad timing. Where were you, say, ten years ago?
1st person: [trying to be cheerful] Ten years ago? Well, let's see... [remembers, smiles]
1st person: Oh, yes, I was having a brace put on my teeth. Where were you?
2nd person: Looking for a job.

Pride and Prejudice ~ Britty Mac
#2 It's been many years since I had such an exemplary vegetable.

Sense and Sensibility ~ Britty Mac
#3 1st sister: Come, I'm taking you on a walk.
2nd sister: No, I've been on a walk.
1st sister: You need another.
2nd sister: It's going to rain.
1st sister: It is NOT going to rain.
2nd sister: You ALWAYS say that, and then it ALWAYS does.

#4 It's your wedding day - I agree with everything you say.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ~ SamuelY
#5 I wouldn't give you two cents for all your fancy rules if, behind them, they didn't have a little bit of plain, ordinary, everyday kindness and a little looking out for the other fella, too.

Wives and Daughters ~ Britty Mac
#6 Suitor: Then may I come to the house? Just once?
Father: No definitely not and there I come in as a doctor as well as a father. No.
Suitor: Then if I don't come back I shall haunt you for having been so cruel.
Father: Come, I like that. Give me a wise man of science in love. No-one to beat him for folly.

#7 But remember, with strength goes responsibility - to others and to yourselves. For you cannot conquer injustice with more injustice - only with justice and the help of God.

Anne of Green Gables ~ Britty Mac
#8 1st friend: Wilt thou give me a lock of thy jet-black tresses?
2nd friend: But I don't have any black dresses.
1st friend: Your hair.
2nd friend: All right.

Quiet Man ~ SamuelY and Samantha
#9 Well, then. Now. I'll begin at the beginnin'. A fine soft day in the spring, it was, when the train pulled into Castletown, three hours late as usual, and himself got off. He didn't have the look of an American tourist at all about him. Not a camera on him; what was worse, not even a fishin' rod.

Singin' in the Rain ~ Britty Mac
#10 What's wrong with the way I talk? What's the big idea? Am I dumb or something?

Fiddler on the Roof ~ Melissa
#11 Well, yes. Yes, everything's political. Like everything else, the relationship between a man and a woman has a socioeconomic base. Marriage must be founded on mutual beliefs. A common attitude and philosophy towards society...

My Fair Lady ~ SamuelY and Samantha
#12 It's the new small talk. You do it so awfully well.

#13 I know how comfortable it is to curl up with a nice, fat book full of big words and think you're going to solve all the problems in the universe. But you're not, you know. A bit of action is required every now and then.

Ratatouille ~ GraydonL
#14 Food is fuel. You get picky about what you put in the tank, your engine is gonna die. Now shut up and eat your garbage.

Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance ~ Mrs. Bryan and My mom
#15 cowboy: Well, now; I wonder what scared 'em off?
newspaper man: You know what scared 'em - the spectacle of law and order here, risin' up out of the gravy and the mashed potatoes.

Family Pictures

2009-01-22T15:45:00.000-08:00

On New Years Day, we went down to Oregon to spend a day with my grandparents (Mom's parents) and our aunt, uncle and cousins. It was a long day, but enjoyed by all. Here are some pictures taken at the end of the day.

All the cousins--the Pollock children plus Brandon and Alexa.

Grandpa and Grandma with all the grand kids

The girls and James!

All the boys

HUGE Update!!

2008-12-20T12:17:00.000-08:00

My goodness...time really flies by! Okay David....here is the big update! Hope this makes you happy!!

The week before Thanksgiving, I took the train down to Oregon to spend a week with my grandparents helping them clean out my great-grandmother's condo. She is 94 and was recently moved to group home with 24 hour care. It was a huge project since grandma saved many things over the 94 years of her life! Part of it was like a treasure hunt--opening a box and not exactly knowing what you might find! :) We found quite a few family items such as pictures, quilts, journals, birth and death certificates, bibles etc. which are really special to have and which have helped us in our genealogy. The family drove down on Friday and my mom helped us clean out the condo and pick out the things she wanted to keep. We went back home on Saturday and left the following Tuesday to spend a few extra days with my grandparents before Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving

During our trips to Oregon, we were introduced to our grandpa's furry friend. This friendly squirrel sits on his back step right outside his back door begging for peanuts. You have to be very careful that it doesn't run inside. Here are some pictures I took on Thanksgiving.

This pic was taken through the window on the back door

Gracie watching the squirrel--notice the peanut on the door!Isn't it cute??

We had a nice Thanksgiving--we made the whole meal including Jacqueline's sweet potato recipe which was a hit! All the kids took a walk with grandma right before dinner and then we came back and sat down to a lovely feast. After dinner, clean up and dessert, we played games and talked. Here are some pictures from our before dinner walk and Thanksgiving meal.

Here are some dinner pictures..... I didn't take very many....

Jonathan thinks his hair looks really good in the following picture
The next morning three kids and my grandma woke up sick. We all thought it must be some kind of food poisoning and we tried to figure out what made everyone sick. Grandpa was convinced it was the sweet potatoes since the Bittner's sent them to us--the mailman must have spit on them! :) Thankfully it was a short illness and everyone was feeling better the next morning. Saturday night as we were packing the van to leave....Gracie fell ill. After much discussion we decided to drive home even though she was sick. She wanted me to sit next to her so I helped her as she threw up about every 10 min. the whole two hour trip home!! We made it home safely and were all thankful to be home! The next morning I fell ill proving it could not have been something we ate! For the next week everyone had their turn--leaving only my mom and grandpa still standing!!

Christmas Decorating

It took a long time to convince the boys to put up our outside Christmas decorations. Once they started--it was completely comical. James loved to help--he loves cords and thought having so many was wonderful! : ) Here is a slide show which tells the story...

19th Century Christmas at the Fort

The following Saturday, Jonathan, Josiah, Daniel and I re-enacted at a Christmas event out at the Fort. We participated in many activities including 19th century dancing and much music! The rest of the family attended a Celtic event in Gig Harbor where David was piping and Esther danced. We all really enjoyed our respective activities. Unfortunately, I don't have many pics from this weekend. :(

Homeless Care Packages

The next Thursday we went to a friends house to help them pack care packages for the homeless. The dad is a police officer and knows many homeless people in his area. He decided to put these together to give him witnessing opportunities. We were very excited to be part of this project. Having many helping hands made the project go by quickly! We also enjoyed fellowship over pizza! : )

Dialtone Movie Premier

After about a year in production Dialtone is finally finished and we attended the premier last Saturday. It was well attended and it was great to see it on the big screen especially since there are many people in it that we personally know! My dad is an extra and so are quiet a few people from our church. Dialtone has also been accepted in the San Antonio Christian Film Festival and we are hoping it places well. If you would like to buy a copy of Dialtone or would like to find out more about it you can check out the website at http://www.dialtonemovie.com/. It makes a wonderful Christmas gift!

Christmas at Fort Steilacoom

After the premiere we headed to Ft. Nisqually to make a short appearance at a Christmas party and then headed over to Ft. Steilacoom for a Civil Era Christmas re-enactment. Jonathan fiddled all evening and David and I participated in the dancing. We had a good number of re-enactors this year and enjoyed our time. Most of the girls wore silk ballgowns and the guys were dressed as soldiers. The room was lit by candlelight and we stayed (for the most part) in first person. Toward the end of the event it started to snow, so we all went outside and took pictures. I didn't have my camera with me but Nona has a few pics on her blog http://missnonaeleanor.wordpress.com/

Church Christmas Party

The next morning was our church Christmas party. Due to snow and ice, some families were not able to attend and a few came late after it had warmed up some. We had a normal church service and after church each family decorated and set their table. The menu was prime rib and turkey, green beans, roasted poatoes, salad, bread and all kinds of desserts. After people were finished eating, we had a time of family sharing. We shared our music--Jonathan on the violin, David on the pipes, Josiah and I played a duet and the little ones sang a carol. It was really great to see everyone sharing together. After clean up, we did English Country Dancing for a couple hours. By then the snow was coming down again and we left before it was too slick. Even though we left early, we still drove 15mph on the freeway and some people were still sliding on the ice! Thankfully, everyone arrived home safely!

Daniel's Birthday

Daniel turned 9 on Tuesday. He went out to lunch with Mom and Dad and ordered a special dinner of Teriyaki chicken with vegtables and rice and he chose Boiled Cake for dessert. After dinner he decorated a gingerbread train, which I think is all eaten by now!

Notice the beautiful wrapping job? David was proud of his work!

The coat was way too big!!

SNOW!!

It is still snowing as I write this. It snowed all day yesterday and we were supposed to have a couple days break, but....it is back! I think we received about 5 inches of snow--most all came yesterday! The roads are very slick and we are really enjoying being at home, playing games, watching movies etc. We are supposed to have another large storm starting tomorrow night and snow is in the forecast all next week except Christmas. Hopefully, we will still have some on the ground so we can call it a white christmas!

James First Suit

2008-12-03T12:00:00.001-08:00

I caught these pictures a few Sundays ago when James wore his first suit. He was such a dapper little fellow!

Big Update....Coming Soon....

2008-12-02T09:44:00.000-08:00

Hello Readers! Sorry for my long "vacation" from blogging! My life has been really crazy--including spending just about two weeks in Oregon with my grandparents. More about that later.... In the meantime, winter has arrived and Christmas is in the air! Hence, the new look and music. Hope you all stay warm and have a joyous Christmas season! Keep checking back....my update is coming soon....

Col. Hoganmeier and His Friends

2008-11-15T12:53:00.000-08:00

The younger Pollock children were invited to a friends "soldier" theme birthday party. They decided that it would be really fun to dress up. So, this morning we tried to come up with military themed costumes. They all turned out really cute and I took a few minutes to take their pictures.

Col. Hoganmeier....for those Hogan's Hero's fans out there.....

Suzanne --member of the French Underground

Private First Class Pollock--Good old American!

Hannah RN--our little nurse! And last but not least...

Rosie the Riveter--"We Can Do It!"

The whole outfit--we could not get Gracie to be serious...so...

Everyone smiled :)

They are still at their party.....but I am sure they are having fun. I know I had a blast putting these costumes together.

Semi-Finished Bathroom!

2008-11-10T15:49:00.001-08:00

Our bathroom project has been semi-finished for the past month or so. It has a working toilet and sink which is a blessing. The tub and shower still need to be tiled but everything will happen in due time! Here are some pictures of the semi-finished project.

The walls are two tone brown and the white stripe will be a tile chair rail which matches the shower tiles.The light fixture is a bronze color Here is the vanity top and faucet Up-close detail on the shower curtianNew bathroom!!!

The warm brown tones and really nice. And.....just so we don't forget...

...the door is still pink! Hopefully, not for long....

Death Comes in Three

2008-11-04T22:35:00.000-08:00

I am sure you all have heard the saying "death comes in three." I have no idea why it works this way, but usually three people die at the same time. Well, this week we have two funerals to attend and today we had an election! This election is worth more then one death though. Pretty disappointing to have almost everyone and everything you support, die! Well, it is time to tighten the boot straps and look forward to 2012! Hopefully, over the next four years the republicans will strengthen their party and prepare a conservative candidate, someone we could all get behind and support.

We had a great time working in a couple different campaigns this year and have made many memories. I guess you could say we try to fight for lost causes! Our local senator who is running against a long time incumbent lost really bad. The numbers right now are: Debbie Regala (incumbent) 70.88% and Larry Faulk 29.12%. I am so thankful that Mr. Faulk tried! No one has even considered running against Regala for years! Perhaps someone else will take the challenge and in four years the Pollock's will have 2 more voters!!! Although, I hope we will have moved by then!

Don Benton's senate race is much closer. I am not able to find very up to date numbers, but he is losing by only 147 votes. Hopefully, they will do a re-count and declare Benton the winner! We can't lose another senate seat. I also hope Rossi can pull it off. It would be wonderful to have a republican governor for a change! Especially since they will probably try to pass legalized gay marriage this session. All we can do is pray! God is still on His throne and He knows what He is doing!

Remember to Vote Nov. 4th

2008-10-28T17:18:00.000-07:00

What Are Your Thoughts?

2008-10-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

I found this interesting video this morning. It takes a few seconds to load--but it is worth the wait! Perhaps this guy is an Obama plant. Watch the video and let me know your thoughts.

I've Been Tagged!!

2008-10-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

Lissa tagged me! I am supposed to share 6 random things about myself. Here are the rules: Link to the person who tagged you, list the rules, write six random things about yourself, tag six or so people by leaving comments on their blogs and let the person who tagged you know that you've written the post. This will be great! Now for some random things.....

~ 1 I am related to Sherwood Bonney who settled in the Pierce County area. Bonney Lake was named after him and his wife started the first organized school in Steilacoom. They had such a large house (two rooms!) and they didn't know what to do with all the space and so the school was started! Go Figure!! :)

~ 2 I love to cook--especially gourmet and ethnic dishes. I think Thai is my favorite--right now at least!

~ 3 I am currently reading The Return of Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse and am absolutly loving it! I have become a Wodehouse fan! Thank you Cassie!! :) BTW--the Jeeves and Wooster TV show is a hoot too!

~ 4 I love politics! I attended my county convention last spring as a delegate and was the youngest from my district by about 40 years! It was a great experience and quite unforgetable--especially when the power went out! For those of you who my be wondering.....I will be voting for McCain and Palin!!

~ 5 I take a shower every day--except when camping!

~ 6 I have known Melissa her whole life and have many stories....any takers??

I am tagging:

I hope you all will participate!!

Candlelight Tour 2008

2008-10-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was Candlelight Tour, our first person re-enactment event. As I said in a recent post, I was not able to attend the first evening due to illness, but was very happy to be there on Saturday! It was a great time like every year! Hannah re-enacted at this event for the first time and did a wonderful job!

Rag curls took forever to put in! Here we are halfway done!

Completly finished! Looking like a rag doll!

Daniel, portraying William Tolmie. Son of Dr. Tolmie, the man in charge of the Fort. In his lovely night shirt

Esther portraying Cecila Work, the second youngest sister of Dr. Tolmie's wife. Wearing the beautiful dress Melissa made her. Hannah portraying, Mary Finlayson. Cousin of Daniel (William) and neice to Esther (Cecila).

The children with the young ladies who would be watching them for the evening.

Young Ladies--Taylor, me, Melissa, Nona and Monica

Cassie and Nona waiting for the evening to begin

Listening to people speak during the flag pole meeting

All the Pollock children doing a quick photo right before everything starts!

Must have been tired of acting like a lady!

Still looking like a little lady!

Glazed eyes--must have had too much fiddling and dancing!

"It's all over!!"

Little Helpers

2008-10-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

Don't you love it when little ones are such big helpers?

Sign of our Times

2008-10-06T10:15:00.000-07:00

Last week I received my first credit card offer. Of course, I threw it out. Especially when I saw it was from Washington Mutual one of the newly bankrupt banks which no longer exists! It certianly shows the sign of our times....a bankrupt bank still trying to encourage people to spend money they don't have. When are they going to learn their lesson??

Pride & Prejudice with Commentary by Grace

2008-10-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

Last night was the opening night of Candlelight Tour, a first person event portraying the year 1855. I was unable to attend due to illness and spent the evening with Grace. Everyone else was re-enacting! Gracie and I watched Secondhand Lions and then decided a girly movie was the next best choice. After many options, she chose Pride & Prejudice (2005) the shorter version. She told me I had to sit in the chair with her, so as we were watching, her commentary kept running. The first ball scene came on and she was breathless! With a dreamy voice she side "I love dancing. It is so funner! I think it is more funner than playmobile! You get the guys and girls together and they dance together, it is so fun!" I was laughing quietly by now!

During the next dance scene where Darcy and Lizzy are talking during the dance she asked me: "Are people supposed to talk when they are dancing?" I told her that some people do and it is perfectly fine to talk while dancing. She said "I wouldn't do that, it would make me so nervous!" After this statement she had really big eyes! It was adorable!!

At the very end when Darcy is asking Elizabeth Bennet to marry him, Grace asked "Who do you think Mr. Darcy is voting for?" I was laughing out loud at this point and told her I wasn't sure. She didn't know either! I guess coming from a pretty political family, I shouldn't have been surprised by this question! Sweet memories!

Christian Heritage Picnic--Battle Ground, WA

2008-09-25T16:26:00.000-07:00

Our family assisted the Bryan family in hosting a Christian Heritage picnic in the Vancouver area a couple weekends ago. About five other families attended and we played games, fellowshiped and had a great time meeting families from that area. We were very thankful our picnic shelter had a fireplace because the weather was quiet overcast and cold! Before everyone had their picnic dinners, Dad and Mr. Brannan from the Christian Homeschool Network (homeschool lobby group) both spoke. Mr. Brannan talked about his organization and the up-coming political session and how homeschoolers can be involved. Dad talked about Christian Heritage and its mission, plus encouragement for the new school season. Everyone seemed encouraged and excited for the new school year. Many of the families had already attended the April conference and we are hoping the others will attend this year. Here are some pics from the picnic.

Playing Bocce BallVisitingThese little guys were adorable! Eating dinner--they are adorable too!Miss HannahThe boys listening to Dad speak. When asked if people had attended the Mother Daughter Teas, the guys all raised their hands!No post is complete without a picture of Jonathan!Talking about Christian Heritage Mr. Brannan speaking about The Christian Homeschool NetworkPeek-A-Boo!James found the broom Matt made and helped with the clean up

Lots of little helpers!

Life in the Midst of Chaos

2008-09-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

Those of you who have visited us before probably remember the pink bathroom. The pink is now all gone and here are some pictures from a week ago. It now has walls and primer paint and the project is coming together slowly. However, in the meantime eleven people are using one bathroom. It can be rather difficult at times or shall we say character building!!

Church Camp 2008

2008-09-11T15:19:00.000-07:00

Labor Day weekend we enjoyed another annual church family camp! Everyone had much fun and it passed with few injuries. Each morning started with an early prayer time and then gathering time around the campfire to sing hymns, pray and listen to teaching on the family. The afternoons were filled with many activities: volleyball, kick ball, football, baseball, bike riding, scooter riding, boffing, frisbee, kyaking, beach walking etc! Our dinners were shared--the church supplied the main meal and each family contributed the sides and desserts. After dinner, we all gathered around the campfire for more singing and teaching. When it was dark, we would gather and play 4 on a couch, one up one down and other group games.

On Saturday night, we had a talent show where each family or individual is encouraged to share with everyone their talent. From our family, the kids sang John Cherokee which is a sea shanite we sang a few years ago and brought back because of high demand! Hannah and Grace sang the "Itsy, Bitsy, Spider" which was adorable! The show ended with a short skit led by Sam Young. It was a story about a man who is tempted into a box by a Mr. Hunter (the devil). Many people come to help him out of the box such as a hippie, goth, cult leader, "Jesus has a wonderful plan for your life" minister (me!!!) and another person in a box, but nothing works. A christian man comes (Jonathan) and shares the gospel with Jerry (the man in the box). Jerry realizes his sin and accepts Christ as his Saviour which releases him from the box. It took us much practicing all weekend to put it together....but it was a lot of fun and everyone enjoyed it.

Sunday morning we had a semi-normal church service and a few other not camping families, joined us for the day. That evening, we had a cook-off--Esther entered carmel apples and Daniel entered skillet cookies and they both won! I decided to enter at the last minute and made a new recipe. It didn't turn out as it was supposed to but still tasted okay, so I still entered it. I received a few votes, but knew it wasn't a winner! : )

We packed up Monday morning and headed home, tired, happy and full of fun memories!

Dear Mr. Obama...

2008-09-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

Bumper Sticker

2008-09-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

This is so true....

Trip to the Zoo

2008-09-04T16:54:00.000-07:00

I am trying to catch up on a little blogging. Here are some pictures from a recent trip to the zoo. Mom and I took Hannah, Grace and James and we all had a wonderful time! The rest of the family were touring the USS Stenis in Bremerton, so it was a perfect time to take the little ones to the zoo.
Watching the monkeys. They are such interesting creatures. James loved them!Since we forgot to pack a lunch, Mom bought lunch for them at the zoo. Their meal came in this monkey animal head. The girls loved it! Mothers usually take their children to the zoo to see interesting and exotic animals such as lions and tigers and they enjoy seeing them, but......

....not as much as chasing crows!

After lunch, we saw the penguins

The walrus is such a fun animal to watch. He swam so close to the window!

You could almost touch him!

I Voted!

2008-08-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I am currently watching the numbers as the primary ballots are being counted and thought I would post. I voted today in my first presidential election! I have waited my whole life for this day and am very excited for November! I feel this primary has been pretty favorable to republicans and there are a few really close races that should be fun to watch over the next few months. I am not really favorable to the new "Top 2 Primary" and a few of our local races (since we are in a liberal area) will have two democrats facing off in November. This primary gives republicans really no chance at all in our district.

I finally heard from one of the other SPI candidates, John Blair. Here is what he said:

"Sarah,I would everything in my power to oppose it. I don't know the legal basis in CA but I hope it does not obtain in WA." jb

You would think that if you were serious in running for office, you would try to be a bit professional. At least sign your name properly!

Political Candidates for SPI

2008-08-14T21:51:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been studying the voting guide, to prepare myself to be a well informed voter. The most difficult races to figure out are the non-partisan races, such as Judicial and Superintendent of Public Instruction. Judicial is easy enough, because so many organizations make endorsements. SPI on the other hand is not as easy. Even though this position does not really affect our family since we homeschool, it kind of does, considering the recent situation in California where homeschooling was under attack. So, I e-mailed all the candidates, except one (more about that later) asking this question:

"Considering the recent situation in California, regarding home education, what would your position be if such a situation was to happen here in Washington?"

I made sure not to tip my hand in either direction, to ensure a truthful answer. Out of all five candidates, only one answered my e-mail. Here is his reply:

"Dear Sarah:
I don't have complete information on the situation in California, but want you to know that I value homeschooling very highly., I have many friends who homeschool their children, and I find that they are very dedicated to the education of their children. If elected SPI, I want to do whatever I can to make the OSPI more friendly to both homeschoolers and private school parents, as long as it doesn't violate the constitution."
Don Hansler, candidate for SPI

I am quite pleased with this answer and he seems to have many good answers for solving some of the problems in the public school system. I hope he does well and encourage other homeschoolers here in Washington to support him. I know the incumbent is not friendly to homeschoolers and has little to show for improving the schools. Here is a video of Mr. Hansler stating his platform:

Here is a video of one of the other SPI candidates--one who I did not contact!

Sometimes, I wonder if people try to run just for humors sake or if they are really serious!

Playing at the Park

2008-08-06T12:37:00.003-07:00

Here are some pictures from a recent trip to the park. Here are some of my favorites!

Busy July

2008-07-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

The month of July has come and gone! Here are some highlights:

Saturday, July 12 ~ Mom, Jonathan, David, Esther and James attended the Skagit Highland Games in Mount Vernon. David competed in piping and placed 5th, Esther competed in dancing and placed 1st, 2nd and 4th and was the best dancer overall in her category and won the aggregate trophy!

Monday, July 14 ~ Beginning of Fort Nisqually history camp. Josiah attended I helped. Jonathan and Graydon were also helping with camp and stayed with us for the week which was enjoyed by all!

While at camp, the rest of the Pollock boys went shooting with some friends in the afternoon and we all attended a surprise birthday party for Mr. Allen that evening.

Tuesday, July 15 ~ More camp--we had a really interesting group of kids this year. One of which was a wannabe gang member. During the calligraphy class--writing with feather and ink, this kid was making graffiti! Very strange for a history camp!

Wednesday, July 16 ~ I stayed home and Jonathan went in my place. Jonathan was responsible for one of the troublemakers. He had to follow him around and keep him in line. This camp usually isn't that difficult. I felt sorry for the kids who were there to learn and are not used to a "school" environment!

Thursday, July 17 ~ Last day we helped with camp and everything seemed to go better. The "gangster" child did not show up--I guess he didn't like people telling him what to do--pretty sad.

After camp we packed the van and headed to Portland, arriving at our destination around 10:30pm.

Friday, July 18 ~ The boys went berry picking with our grandparents. Mom and Dad had meetings with important people about my grandparents estate so I stayed at my grandparents house with the rest of the girls.

Later, the most of the family headed to the community college(venue for the Portland Highland Games) to set up our booth. When they arrived back home, dinner was ready including a fresh marionberry cobbler!

Saturday, July 19 ~ Portland Highland Games

Morning was very cool, but the afternoon warmed up nicely--enough to make some of us crispy!! The protocol is pretty much the same as the Tacoma games. The difference being the size and distance between the main field and the clan tents and athletics. Here are some pics from the games. (Photos taken by various Pollock children)

Sunday, July 20 ~ We went to church as usual. David and Josiah went to the air show with the Langfords after church.

Hannah lost her second tooth--she lost the first on Tuesday! At this rate she should be toothless by the end of August!

Our computer died--thankfully, we were able to save all our info off the hard drive. So, for most of the week we were without a computer! Thankfully, Mom recently purchased a laptop for her personal use, but now shares it with all of us!

Saturday and Sunday, July 27 & 28 ~ Seattle Highland Games in Enumclaw

Special post about these games coming soon!

July 28 - Aug 1 ~ I worked at Fort Nisqually where I am emplyed during the summer. I had never worked a whole week before which was a new experience! I enjoy interpreting and love to meet tourists from all over, but was thankful for Saturday when I could spend family time again!

Four of these days, Esther attended a history themed day camp there and Jonathan and David came to assist. Everyone had a great week!

Hopefully, our summer will slow down just a bit. What has happened to the "lazy days of summer?"

Obama and Generation Joshua

2008-07-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

In an effort to direct the enthusiasm from Catholic and Evangelical youth, the Obama campaign decided to start a group and call it the Joshua Generation Project. Currently, there is a group called Generation Joshua (http://www.generationjoshua.org/) which was established for conservative, pro life, homeschoolers to encourage them to become active in political campaigns, which have been quite successful! The umbrella organization, Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) contacted the Obama campaign to notify them of the invasion of their trademark and title. The campaign acknowledged that HSLDA has the rights to Generation Joshua. Here is a quote from the Obama reply:

“Please know that the Campaign respects the intellectual property of others and wants to avoid any unnecessary confusion. As you may already know, the Campaign is no longer planning on using the ‘Joshua Generation Project’ name or any other confusingly similar name in the future. We appreciate you informing us of HSLDA’s marks.”

Our Neighborhood on Sunday Night

2008-07-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

Our neighboorhood is not one of the best. So, we usually aren't suprised by a police car or two, but the sounds of a firetruck coming down the street at 10:30 pm can be alarming! The boys stepped out to see what was going on and saw about 6 police cars, a fire truck and a large group of people about 5 houses down from us. Our first guess was a shooting, but were surprised we hadn't heard anything. After longer observation, we decided it must have been a fight since a parent arrived to pick up their kid and he had ice packs on the side of his head. One of our neighbors tried to find out what was happening, but no one answered. It was quite an exciting evening! Here are a few pics--not very clear because in all the excitement, I forgot to turn on my flash!
Some shocked by-standers!

Our Fourth Celebration

2008-07-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

This year we celebrated the 4th at a friends farm. They invited a few other families as well. We spent the late afternoon visiting and fellowshipping and the boys played ultimate frisbee and airsoft. Gracie fell and scraped her nose really bad. It was so red and she looked like Rudolph! Poor thing! : )
Eating ice cream with Clara

After dinner, the older girls and some moms all sang some hymns and patriotic songs together until our voices gave out! We then all gathered outside for ice cream and to watch the fireworks display and enjoy the bonfire. I am not exactly sure what Jonny was talking about, but it must have been a BIG story!
Some of the Pollock boys in their striped shirts!Rowland ladies enjoying the show
During the show a few older ladies decided to take a walk, which turned into a gator ride in the front pasture. It was much easier to see the fireworks from there! While we were gone, one of the roman candles fell over and shot into the crowd of children, burning Esther on her leg. Thankfully, she was not hurt badly--just a very minor burn. Things could have been much worse! We were thankful for God's protection!

And, of course, no post is complete without a picture of Jonathan. I am not sure what he was doing....but he looks interested!

Tacoma Highland Games

2008-07-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

We arrived at Frontier Park around 7:30 and unloaded all of our stuff. Everyone helped set up our clan tent and put everything in order.

The piping and dancing events started around 8:30. David played around 9:05 and Esther was supposed to dance somewhere between 9-9:15. Of course, both events were in different areas--completely on the opposite sides of the park!

David went over a bit early to tune his pipes and start warming up. In the "piping" area you have about 20 or so other pipers warming up plus competition going on all around you. It can be quite an interesting sound! He played very well and placed 1st and 2nd. His second judge told him he should be playing in the next level!

Esther competed in three dances and placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd! A friend and fellow dance student from her studio, Colby Allen, placed 1st, 1st and 2nd. She received the trophy for the overall best dancer in that age category. We were all very excited for them! They have worked very hard and it has all paid off!

Dancing ended around noon when the main events started. All the clans gathered together and marched around on the parade ground while the MC announced each clan and thanked them for being there. Then came the singing of the National Anthem and a bunch of speeches which we didn't wait around for because we were all standing in the hot sun and we didn't want to fry! The afternoon hours are pretty much down time. We all hung out at the Pollock tent and tried to stay cool. Mom and David went shopping for some piping supplies and tried to find a chanter for Daniel. They came back with strawberry lemonades for everyone to share.

The day ended with closing ceremonies and massed bands. All four pipe bands played together at once! What a sound! : ) We quickly packed up all our stuff and headed home. Our grandmother and Uncle Jeff had come up for a visit, so to beat the heat, we met them at Dairy Queen for dinner and an opportunity to cool off.
Here is a slide show of additional pictures from the games.

Coming Soon.....

2008-06-29T21:10:00.000-07:00

Highland Games up-date coming soon!

Supreme Court Decision

2008-06-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

Today, the Supreme Court made a historical decision. For over 32 years it has been illegal to own a handgun in the District of Columbia, until today. With a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Constitution and has up-held the individuals right to bear arms. At such a politically messed up time as we are experiencing--this is so encouraging! This should also make us think about who we will choose as our president in the up-coming election. Most likely, the next president will have the opportunity to appoint a couple justices and we want someone who will make a good decision. You can read the actual District of Columbia vs Heller decision here: http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/07pdf/07-290.pdf

Sisters

2008-06-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

"Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters...."

Guess Who?

2008-06-23T17:23:00.000-07:00

Some of you think you know the Pollock family really well. So, I thought I would post this picture I found on my camera and let you all test your skills at how well you know us. Good Luck!

Bubbles

2008-06-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

Jonathan's Rock

2008-06-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

The other day, the boys were clearing the raspberry beds and Jonathan found a large rock. We told him the rock had probably been there since Mount Rainer blew up in 1854 and not to worry about it. Nonetheless, he was determined to get it out! Here are some pictures to show his accomplishment!

"Standing on the rock"

The hole where the rock has been all these years!

"It's so heavy"

"I am tough--I can handle it"

"Yes, man has defeated the rock"

Hannah's Birthday

2008-06-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Hannah's sixth birthday last Saturday. Each birthday, Mom and Dad take the child out to a restaurant for a meal. Hannah chose to go out for lunch to a place called Tatanka Take-out. They specialize in buffalo meat and Hannah has always had an interest in "bison!" We celebrated as a family that evening and enjoyed Hannah's favorite dinner. Here are some pictures from her special day! For dinner she asked for jalapeno pork chops which David grilled. Thankfully, we had good weather then!This is her cake--she requested a flower design she found in a cake book. It turned out really cute!
Mom bought trick candles--this picture is before she started trying to blow them out!
She couldn't figure out why they weren't going out! She literally climbed on the table to get over top of them! I am not sure if she really appreciated the candles!

She is growing up so fast and is becoming a sweet young lady!

Global Warming????

2008-06-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to rain and 46 degrees. The left tells us we are experiencing global warming. Can anyone explain this?????

Highland Dance Recital

2008-06-02T15:21:00.001-07:00

Saturday, Esther and Hannah had their highland dance recital. They both did very well! Esther participated in three dances and Hannah did one. Grace also came up at the end and bowed with the rest of the girls. She is not currently taking lessons, but loves to dance and is looking forward to starting lessons in the fall. After the dance program, each girl received their awards for the year. Esther received the Most Improved Dancer award which was voted on by all the fellow dancers. It was quite a surprise--none of us knew she was chosen! Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!

Mice Update

2008-05-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

Our furry friends still live here--although their population is decreasing at a rather fast rate! However, we still have sightings and we can hear them occasionally. A couple weeks ago, I was teaching a couple piano students and during the lesson I could hear squeaks coming from the piano which I was sitting at. I don't think my student noticed and I tried to act as calm as possible!

A friend from church, Mr. Rodgers, used to work with a pest company and knows all the tricks to catching rodents. He came over a couple weeks ago to look around our house and see what he could find. He found some larger size droppings and told us we also had a rat but had no idea how they are coming in because he couldn't find any holes. He gave us six large rat traps and told us to rearrange our furniture and place the traps out for a couple of nights without setting them, so the mice/rats get familiar and are comfortable with eating out of them. Each night we put different bait in each: jam, chocolate, chicken, cheese and peanut butter. They seemed to like the cheese and chicken the best. Once we set the traps, they were still able to take the bait without snapping the trap, so we realized that we had mice and they were too small to snap it! The traps that have been the most effective for us have been the glue boards. Although, I think we have caught James more then we have caught mice! As of today, we have caught six baby mice and one adult. We know there is at least one other adult, but they might have already moved on. Supposedly, you have to wait a year before you can be certain that mice have moved on for good. So, our traps are not going anywhere fast!

Memorial Day

2008-05-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

My grandmother and uncle were planning on joining us for a barbeque to celebrate Memorial day. However, Grandma was not feeling well and they decided to stay home. So, we had plenty of food and called around to see who was interested in coming over for a BBQ. The Ng family and Manning family joined us! We set up our canopy in the backyard ( just in case we had some liquid sunshine : ) and brought out our camping chairs and folding chairs so everyone had a place to sit.

For lunch we served normal barbeque fare. David was our chief chef and BBQ man! He does an excellent job of grilling! The Mannings brought salmon plus ice cream and chocolate sauce for dessert. Josh Ng made 2 peach pies and an apple pie to contribute as well.

After eating, we played a few rounds of Catch Phrase and physiatrist which was lots of fun and of course, we all talked! The boys also played some football.

Towards the end of the day, Kacy and Stephen Manning brought out their guitar and played for us and Jonathan and David brought out their violin and bagpipe and played some tunes and then a tune together.

It was a fun way to end a wonderful day! As people started to leave, we heard a few cracks of thunder and were glad the storm had held off until then!

Random Thought for the Day

2008-05-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

We were discussing creation the other day, and someone came up with this line. I thought it was good enough to share!

"The Platypus: God's way to use leftover parts."

Movie Night at the Ng's House

2008-05-22T11:31:00.001-07:00

Monday evening, we went to the Ng's house to show them Mr. Bean's Holiday. We enjoyed BBQ hamburgers and hotdogs plus all the trimmings, potato salad, green salad, chips, veggies, watermelon and Daniel's lemon cake for dessert. After dinner and visiting, we watched a home video of one of our Christmas piano recitals that the Ng's had attended many years ago. Following the journey down memory lane, we watched Mr. Bean's Holiday and listened to Josh laugh through the whole movie. It is pretty funny and clean compared to other Mr. Bean shows. Many people took pictures with my camera--here are a couple goofy shots. Melissa has more on her blog.

Little Amanda looking adorable!

David goofing with my camera and not looking adorable!

Watching Mr. Bean

Eating Watermelon

Melissa playing with her new camera.

Sunday Afternoon with the Raymonds

2008-05-22T10:53:00.001-07:00

Sunday afternoon we spent at the Raymond's home. They invited us over for dinner and an afternoon of fellowship. It was a beautiful day and they took us on a walk to a private lake which was a couple blocks from their house. After spending an hour or so at the lake and playground, we headed back to their home for more fellowship and a delicious dinner. Here are some pictures from our walk and time at the lake.

Mice & Lawyers

2008-05-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

We have mice and are having a difficult time catching them. In the past couple months, we have caught two and have had spaces of no activity between, but they are definitely back! We have seen signs of them in our kitchen and dining room but cannot figure out where they are coming from. I am sure they are encouraged by little boys who are enthusiastic about their food!

Last week, I had the stomach flu and had fallen asleep in the chair in our living room. I didn't realize that everyone had gone to bed and ended up sleeping in the chair. I awoke at 4am and as I was trying to get back to sleep....I heard a rustling and dinging sound somewhere close by. It was awful scary hearing this noise, knowing something was out there and yet not being able to see anything because of the dark room. I knew my mom was up because I heard her coughing so I called her and told her it sounded like something was in one of the vents. She sent my dad out who realized that the sound was coming from our piano. By this time Josiah woke up--I hadn't realized that he was sleeping on the couch. Dad turned the light on and Josiah saw something run from the vent and down our hallway, but we continued hearing the rustling and dings. So, Dad put out some traps and went to bed. I went up-stairs where I knew it would be safe! Josiah decided to stay on the couch and I kept hearing him yell out "we got it." Each time Dad would come out and check the glue trap and each time...no mouse. This happened about three times and then Josiah went to sleep!

Well, I was rather grossed out by all this and suggested that we purchase and use mouse poison. The boys (Jonathan and David) said before they did anything like that, I had to sign an affidavit. Here is a picture of what it looked like:

Let me translate: "I, Sarah, hereby recognize the fact that poisoning mice leads to unpleasant smells. As a lead proponent in the poisoning faction, I will not complain if it smells horribly.

Sign here__________________

The Hon. Wes Pinkerton AAL, THD, PHD, DDS, MD

Peter Wise AAL

Also if you notice on the bottom....the document had been "notarized!" As you can see...I did not sign it! I told them that it did not look professional in the least! I asked what AAL stood for and they told me "attorneys at law." I informed them that attorneys do not use those initials after their name and that is why Wes Pinkerton added the Hon. and the other multiple degrees! Here are a couple of pictures of our "respected" attorneys! I am sure they would be willing to help in any of your legal matters.

The Honorable Wes Pinkerton AAL, THD, PHD, DDS, MD

Peter Wise AAL

Political Activism

2008-05-09T15:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a quote about political activism I received. I think this should encourage us all to become involved this election!

"It seems to me that there is less of an all out assault on home
schooling,but rather a gradual erosion of parental rights with things like
mandatory early childhood education, etc.

The absolute best way to ensure that the right to parental freedom of
educational choice continues to the next generation is to make sure that
homeschoolers today are volunteering on campaigns and building those
relationships that will make a difference when legislation comes up.The
precursory "I'm a constituent, please don't vote for this bill" letter barely
matters when the Representative is getting all sorts of pressure from
educational organizations, PTA's, and school boards who most likely gave small
dollar amounts and passed out flyer's at a meeting for the candidate.

Honestly, freedom is a privilege and that comes with great
responsibility.What better way to teach your children about the privilege of
freedom,than to have them sweat a little to protect it?"

~ The Political Director of the Kansas Republican Party ( a homeschooled
graduate)

Cinco De Mayo

2008-05-06T17:43:00.000-07:00

Our family chose to celebrate the "Americanized" holiday "Cinco De Mayo." Both of my parents spent time in Mexico when they were single and my father, especially, likes the food!

Mom and Dad dressed in traditional outfits they purchased on their honeymoon for a little more authenticity!

Using brightly colored tissue paper, the children created these flowers for our centerpiece and the girls also put flowers in their hair.

Our menu included: tamales, shredded pork, taco meat, refried beans, mexican rice, homemade salsa, guacamole, blue corn tortilla chips, "Mexico Flag veggies," your choice of either flour or corn tortilla, plus all the trimmings! No one left hungry!

Of course, no Fiesta is complete without a pinata! Mom and Dad set the pinata up in the garage as a surprise! Everyone had an opportunity to take a swing at it--including James! The children all loved it except Grace. She was a bit apprehensive until the candy came out and then it wasn't so bad!

Our little "senorita"

The final blow.....

The end result!

It was a wonderful evening with many memories that we will all share for years to come!