He Is Risen!

Happy Easter from the West Coast Wagners! We hope your day was a special celebration with family and friends remembering all that Christ has done for us. We took advantage of the beautiful weather after church and enjoyed our annual Easter supper and egg hunt with the Sanders, Gossers and Hall families...always one of our very favorite holiday traditions of the year!

Love the family God has given me

Our favorite girl

Because every girl should get a pair of sparkly purple
sunglasses in their Easter basket

Random Quirks

I have been pondering some of my random quirks and realized I have several. In light of keeping things real, here are just a few that come to mind:

1) All labels lined up and faced forward: In the our pantry, all canned goods should be facing forward. Cereal and other boxes lined up sideways should have the label facing out that is consistent with all boxes (e.g., if one has the nutrition label facing out, so should the rest or visa versa). I noticed this even last night in the shower as I turned Mr. Wagner's shampoo around on the shelf just so the label would face out (that move was exactly what made me ponder the rest of my quirks). Don't worry, I won't go turning your labels, this trait only kicks in when I am in my own home.

2) All coffee mugs facing the same direction: Even in cabinets that you can't see through, the handles on the coffee mugs should be facing the same direction.

3) Cabinet doors closed: I can't handle cabinet doors being left open (unless you are getting something out). It's almost like I think there is a monster in there that could get out.

3) Toilet paper replacements: The rolls in our house all have to have the end on top...and by all means, if you use the last of the paper, replace it and make sure there is an extra replacement roll ready to go in the basket on top of the toilet. The thought of not having a roll on hand when I need it most almost sends me into a panic.

4) Clear out the car: I don't like having garbage or clutter left in my car. I don't mind it in YOUR car if I am a passenger, just mine. I am going to blame my hubby for this trait as he also shares it. And before you think I am a clean freak, know that I don't routinely dust/vacuum my car (I wish I were better about that), it's just the clutter I can't handle.

5) Crooked pictures: If I notice them (even in your house), they are immediately fixed. Who likes crooked lines after all?

Before you think I am too OCD or a neat freak, let me continue being real. Laundry...I am great at putting it in the washer and dryer, but folding it and putting it away? Not my thing. I am known for having a pile or two of clean laundry (placed in a clean place mind you), waiting to be folded and put away (and I am usually only doing it for the Little Miss and I. Mr. Wagner has done his own laundry on his own accord since we were married...possibly because of this trait?). And daily sweeping, mopping or vacuuming? Doesn't happen around here though I am a bit OCD about everyone taking off their shoes when they enter (or I would be doing the daily sweep/mop!).

What are some of YOUR random quirks?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We hope you all had a great St. Patrick's Day. We've had fun celebrating this holiday as a family the past few years. Our day started off with a breakfast of green eggs and ham (and green milk for the Little Miss). For dinner we ended the day with Irish Colcannon (basically mashed potatoes with sautéed ham, cabbage, and green onion mixed in plus our Italian twist of adding pesto, chopped spinach and parmesan cheese), Irish Soda Bread and brownie bites topped with green butter cream frosting. Yum!

Flying By

Amazing to think it is already the middle of March, the time has changed and this week marks the first day of Spring. The year is in full swing and seems to be flying by! Most often when we are not at work or school, these days you will find Mr. Wagner and I working on getting us more settled into our new home (most boxes are unpacked but we still have some stragglers to sort through, decorations to finalize, and a garage to organize). The Little Miss is most often outside playing with her new neighbor friends. It's been so wonderful to have a great family next door with kids her age! Our girl rarely played outside before and she is now rarely inside when the weather is even semi-nice. We love seeing her exploring her surroundings, riding bikes, scooters and skateboards, playing basketball and tag, swinging on a tree swing, and building fairy houses out of sticks and pine cones. I even had to tell her to not chase the wild turkeys (OK, let's be real...our cautious girl was hanging back while the neighbor kids who have grown up here were pretending to catch one for dinner).

This month also marked the start of a new decade as I celebrated a "milestone" birthday. While I am not normally one for celebrating my own birthday, I have to say that my hubby sure blessed me this year. He surprised me before the month even started with a fancy new espresso machine (what a luxury!) and organized a surprise birthday dinner. I am usually one to figure things out in advance but this time I had no clue! The age jokes were even minimal other than the cake with black frosting that he bought to celebrate with our home fellowship group. I still haven't figured out who sent me a Quicken WillMaker book and software though! (kudos to whomever you are...that was creative!).

Valentine's Day 2014

"We love because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19)

You're Worth Melting For!

One benefit of being snowbound for several days was the ability to get the Little Miss' school Valentine's Day cards done early. The Little Miss and Yours Truly got to see the Disney movie "Frozen" this past fall at the theater to celebrate her best friend's birthday. We couldn't resist this cute idea from Pinterest with our favorite snowman character, Olaf. We used a few large marshmallows for the body, two small ones for the legs, pretzel arms, chocolate chips for buttons and eyes, and an orange tic tac for his carrot nose.

Who knew that they would be perfectly suited for our weather this past week? Speaking of last week, may our dear Olaf snowman that we built RIP. All that remains is his carrot nose and I imagine that should be gone any day with the deer around.

Snow Days 2014

What a crazy winter we are having around here! Normally known for our moderate temperatures, this year has been anything but moderate. We have had much drier weather and more sunny days than is typical but have also had more snow than ever. We had a big snow storm in early December and just experienced an ever bigger storm in February. We had over 20" of snow in two days, something we have not seen in all our years here.



First snow day accumulation

Second snow day




We've been house bound for most of the past 4 days but we are taking advantage of the snow. The Little Miss has had a great time sledding in our own backyard with the neighborhood kiddos. Her mama decided that it is even more fun to sled down the road as there is a great hill just down the street (and the layer of ice the past day made it even faster!). We also had fun making our own "Olaf" snowman.


The Little Miss with Hannah, Isaac and Hope



Sledding in our own backyard

The Little Miss and "Olaf"

The only mishap came when Yours Truly went out to the barn to check on Lucky a couple days ago. I made it there without trouble (though I saw several cars in ditches and heard a number of sirens). Lucky was just fine and apparently enjoyed standing outside in his paddock in the snow more than in the warmth of his stall. Yours Truly however ended up stuck in the barn parking lot and had to wait for Mr. Wagner to come to the rescue. He did manage to get the car out but had to drive it in reverse up the hill to our house (while I drove his 4WD truck). Yet another reason I want AWD in my next car though it wouldn't be nearly as much fun for my man. As for Lucky? He's been on his own since then (don't worry, they do give him food and water). 


Lucky enjoying the snow with his buddies

Tree down

The snow turned to sleet and freezing rain yesterday so it has really been a mess but thankfully is now starting to melt. Church services all around the valley were even cancelled today and you can hear chunks of ice falling off the trees. The only casualty we have had thus far is a neighbor's tree falling into our front yard. Thankfully it was a skinny tree!