Porters Portals

I don't mean to be so neglectful with blogging as of late but it seems so little time and energy. I did have time to catch up on blog reading and once again... Kellys Korner had a 'Show us Your Life' I wanted to participate in.... Your Kids Names.... I have a formal name, Malissa, but my family and friends always called me Missy. So I decided that was what I would do with my kids. Give them formal names with a good nickname. James Allen - Waaaay back in 85 I had my first child. My first love! I named him James Allen and usually call him Jamie or Jake. He was named after my Grandfather who passed away when my dad was 12. I gave him the middle name of Allen, after my husbands best friend. Karina Rose - In 1988 I was blessed with a daughter. I was going to name her Alissa...but it just never set right with me. Maybe because it didn't have a nickname I liked. My sister and I sat around the table one day talking about it and she liked the name Carrie. So we played around w...

In 1998 I was pregnant with my youngest (my 4th) and I became a single Mom. It was one of the toughest years of my life. I had no idea how I was going to survive. I was left with a car payment, a mortgage, a credit card bill, a job making $8.50 an hour, 3 kids with one on the way. It was pretty dismal. But God showed up, in a matter of speaking. He was always there but he was put on the back burner so I could 'run' my life. So when I hit bottom, what did I do? I looked up. I asked Him for help. At first I just survived. I would rely on him and then fall back into old habits of relying on myself. But he never let me fall far. I had a healthy beautiful daughter join our family. A daughter who's name means beloved, and that she was! She filled a hurting heart. I then transferred into a different position with a great increase in pay, found a wonderful daycare provider (who is now a dear friend), paid off the credit card with a hefty tax return, met some new friends and grew a ...

Yep...I'm having a hard time blogging these days. Between going crazy with appointments, reading for state required training, caring for the kids and house I just can't seem to find the time to write. Actually it's more that I can't seem to keep a thought and put it in writing. Scattered thoughts all the time. I even have a hard time reading. My mind flits from one thought to the other. The house is always a mess it seems so it beckons to me constantly. The weather is getting nicer and I have not worked outside on the other nice days we had until yesterday. I finally worked outside for a couple of hours on Monday. It felt so good. Aside for interruptions, kids asking for snacks or playing with friends and whatever, I was alone outside. Just me and my little messy sanctuary. The birds, the breeze, the train. I enjoyed it. I needed it. It is far from how I would like it to look but it is ours and I enjoy being out there. I miss having a farm. I miss the sounds of cows, ch...

I am participating in a Blog Hop with 'Where Laughter Lives.' We are sharing pictures from Easter. We had a great Holiday. My adult kiddos, my two grandsons (though the 3 mth stayed asleep in his stroller the whole time...what a good boy)and all my at home kiddos had a great time on the Easter Egg Vacuuming. It's not really a 'hunt' it's always more like a giant kid vacuum. Then Resurrection Sunday each kid woke to a basket partially full of yummy stuff. We had one sick one during the night Saturday night so I stayed home from church with her. Poor baby. So sad she couldn't go to church to wear her new dress. Then hubby came home and watched sick girl while I went to a nursing home with a few of my church family to have church service with the residents. I then went on to my parents house where I met my other kiddos and we had a nice easter dinner. The weather over the weekend was pretty nasty...but nothing too unusual for the Pacific Northwest. Being wit...

I am one of many to proclaim on Resurrection Sunday 'He is Risen' or 'Christ the Lord is Risen Today' in order to share the truth of my King, my savior. He does not die every year for Easter, He does not lay in the grave. No....I know the truth....Jesus Died once, was buried for three days once, and then rose from the dead ONCE. He took MY sins upon HIM ONCE! I accepted HIM into my heart once....NOW I praise His name daily over and over. I serve others because of Him over and over. I will share about him every opportunity I get. I will share the love of Jesus to all I meet. I will use Resurrection Sunday aka 'Easter' as another way to proclaim HIS truth in every venue possible...because hearts are open. I believe every day of the year...not just on Easter. I believe in the one God sent. I believe The Creator is also our Savior. Thank you Jesus for loving me/us to give your all. Thank you for saving. Thank you for conquering. Thank you for living. Thank you for ...

Starting this week we are schooling with a 'Virtual' school. We signed up last fall for a school called 'Clackamas Web Academy,' but the school was full. They had a few openings and asked if I was still interested. YES! I thought it would start this coming fall but no, they started this week. It is totally free, it is based local, they have teachers, and they give each student a lap top. They have labs they can attend and they also have field trips and celebrations together. My girls love the program so far and they are excited about the get togethers with the other kids. I am excited I won't be knocking myself out to work up lessons, correct work, and walk around feeling like a failure because I didn't work up a lesson or I didn't correct their work. I also don't have to spend 100's of dollars on curriculum (what a rip off...personal note). It is not Christian based and I know there are those who would have issue with that....and that's ok. I ha...

Sad to say Spring Break is coming to a close. I have loved having the kids home. I have loved having no appointments, no sta te visits, no morning alarm clock, and no w atching the clock constantly. The week went quickly. We didn't have money or time to take a trip out of town so we stayed home and I tried to do something at 3 of the 5 weekdays with the kids. Day 1 we spent with Papa Larry. Just hung around the house and enjoyed being a family. Day 2 we went to a new (to us) park in Portland. It's called the Rose Garden Children's Playground. After we left there I took the kids to the Oregon Rose Garden but none of them wanted to get out...so I got out and took a few photos. We picked up Taco Bell on the way home. They were thrilled with that. Day 3 we went to a new (to us) park in Sandy Oregon. It was awesome. the kids loved it, I loved it and what a beautiful setting. It had a slide the little one loved so I didn't have to spend my time chasing her through the pl...