Woohoo!

I am a graduate, again! I recently obtained my Master of Education with a major in Educational Leadership through Lewis and Clark College in Portland. Even though I completed the program in May, my diploma arrived in the mail only a few week ago. 

Luckily, Lewis and Clark offered the program through a cohort model in the Ontario area. As a result, I only had to visit the campus for one class during the program. Although the program was difficult, it was also very rewarding. The classes were extremely relevant and engaging and the instructors were fabulous. I made many new friends during the course of the program and would do it again in a second!

I am very proud of my accomplishment, especially due to the fact that I worked full-time AND had two babies while in the program. However, it has been so nice to enjoy my evenings and not stay up late doing homework every night after school!

Joseph Stephen - Three Months Old

Dear Joseph,

Oh, sweet boy, I know I say this every month, but you are such a wonderful baby! We are so lucky to have you in our lives. You bring joy to our lives each day with your sweet smile and adorable cooing. During the last month, you have turned into quite the flirt. You smile constantly! You are even smiling when you wake up in the mornings. Speaking of mornings, you have adjusted extremely well to our new routine. School is back in session so you and William go to daycare at Amy Lamb's during the day while Matthew, Peter, and I go to school. Amy has commented that you are one of the best babies she has ever watched.

During the last month, you have become so active. You love being in the swing or laying on the floor watching everything that is happening around you. Although you still despise being placed on your belly, you are showing signs of rolling over soon.

I cannot believe how quickly you are growing. You currently weigh 15 1/2 pounds and are on the verge of growing out of many of your 3-6 month clothes. You eat approximately 8 ounces of formula every three to six hours. However, the most important milestone you have reached is that you are sleeping through the night! We go to sleep around 10:00 p.m. and you will sleep until approximately 6:00 a.m. It has been so nice to have you sleep through the night since I am back at work.

We love you so much,

Mommy and Daddy

 

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

"We're going on a bear hunt.

We're going to catch a big one.

What a beautiful day!

We're not scared."

 

Matthew and Peter recently had an opportunity to go on a bear hunt, and they were not scared! Last week, Toby, Dad, Jana, Matthew, and Peter were at Ironside scouting for elk. While scouting for elk, they spotted a large black bear and decided to try to sneak up on it and shoot it. Toby had a tag and informed Matthew that  if they were able to get a close shot, he could shoot the bear and use Toby's tag. Matthew has passed a hunter safety course and is registered for the ODFW Mentored Youth program, so he can legally hunt with Toby's tag while Toby mentors him and teaches him how to hunt safely. It is a great program that allows young hunters to gain field experience.

 

Matthew was able to get a clear shot of the bear and killed it in one shot! He was so excited and plans to have it mounted. As you can see from the pictures, it was a very large male bear. He weighed approximately 225 pounds and was 62 inches from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail.

 

I am not sure where we are going to find the room in our home for four boys and all of the animals that I foresee them hunting!

 

 

 

 



Back to School

It is difficult to believe that school is back in session already, but the school year officially began yesterday! Matthew and Peter had an excellent first day of school. They are both thrilled with their teachers. Matthew's teacher is Mr. Kaaen and Mr. Snook is a student teacher in his room until December. Peter's teacher is Mrs. Harden. We are all getting accustomed to going to bed at a decent time and waking up very early! I started back to work full time on Monday, August 20th and William and Joseph have adjusted well to daycare. It is going to be an excellent year!

Peter - 3rd Grade; Matthew - 5th Grade

Joseph's Baptism

On Saturday, August 11th, Joseph received the sacrament of baptism at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Vale. Many friends and family members attended the beautiful ceremony and celebration after. Uncle Dick and Aunt Bev graciously agreed to be Joseph's Godparents. He is extremely lucky to have two amazing individuals as his Godparents!

The Baptism



The Decorations

McBride Family Adventures at the Malheur County Fair

This year was our first experience as exhibitors at the Malheur County Fair. It was a very long but fun week for our family. The local county fair is a five day event held in Ontario, Oregon each year. Matthew was eligible for 4-H, so he raised a black Angus steer named Hank. He worked extremely hard and spent many hours with Hank to make him gentle. He was a dream steer for a first year 4-H exhibitor. Peter did not take a steer; instead, he entered multiple exhibits in the open class categories. He entered a jar of his freezer jam, sewed a pillowcase, made cookies, and entered two of his Lego creations.

Because Matthew had to be at the fair early each morning and late each night to take care of Hank, attend 4-H meetings, clean the barn, etc., Toby, Matthew, and Peter stayed at Dan and Mom's house in Ontario for the week. We were so lucky that they opened up their home because it was so nice for the boys to be able to shower, relax in an air conditioned home (the temperature was 100 degrees all week), and sleep in a comfortable bed. Due to the fact that it was so hot, William, Joseph, and I only attended the fair while Matthew was showing and went home each day.

Matthew had the opportunity to show Hank three times during the fair. He showed in the Malheur County Cattleman's Association Market Steer competition, Malheur County Fair Market Steer competition, and Showmanship. Matthew also entered his 4-H record book for judging. Overall, Matthew earned four blue ribbons during the week!

Peter was extremely successful at the fair. His Cloverbud Record Book earned a blue ribbon. In addition, he earned a blue ribbon for his freezer jam and pillowcase. His cookies and one of the Lego sets earned red ribbons, while his other Lego creation earned a white ribbon. He was very pleased and cannot wait to enter more exhibits next year!

On Saturday morning, Matthew sold Hank in the Malheur County Fat Stock Sale. It was so amazing to watch the sale because it reminded me of how lucky we are to live in this area. There are so many individuals and business that support the Fat Stock Sale and the 4-H clubs. Matthew's sale was extra special because Hank was purchased by the Warner and Mary Kay Maag Family, Jamieson Produce, and Y-1 Farms. After purchasing Hank, they donated the meat to Pioneer Nursing Home for the residents. It was such an amazing act of kindness by the Maag family!

Despite the fact that it was a long, hot, and exhausting week, our first fair experience was amazing, and we cannot wait until next year!

The boys on Saturday morning. They are exhausted at this point!

Swimming Lessons

In July, we enrolled Matthew, Peter, and William in a week of swimming lessons. It was fabulous - the weather was excellent and the instructors were wonderful. Matthew's instructor was Lauren Young. He is a fairly good swimmer, so they focused on more advanced techniques such as diving and new swimming styles. Jordan Dobney was Peter's instructor, and they got along very well together. Peter's swimming improved significantly during the week. Williams' instructor was Olivia Walker. She was also a very good instructor and helped William become very comfortable in the water.