Engagement

The engagement ring my brother Tom designed and crafted for his future bride Janel.

Christmas Eve

3 secret Santa drop offs
1 found pickle
1 engagement
Lots of Legos
10 Christmas sweater contestants
1 sweater winner (mom)
2 tablecloths used in the sweater contest
3 very tired children

Car Time

Starting in October to better survive carting kids to and fro we started listening to children's books on CD. So far we've enjoyed all of them.

A Wrinkle in Time

A classic that I had never read before.

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Originally written in 1938. Fun.

Eddie Dickens Trilogy

I tuned out for most of these books but the kids loved them. Read by the author who inserts side comments about the book. Interesting.

The Miraculous Journy of Edward Tulane

Listened to the entire book in one day. It was a very long day. A very heart warming story. Perfect for the holidays.

Clementine's Letter

Kaiten sushi

Sean and Bryn are on a daddy daughter date tonight. They are cheering for the Trail Blazers. Bryn told me today that she's more into team spirit then the actual game.

So, I decided to take the boys on a mommy date to kaiten sushi. Good thing we hit the happy hour special for $1.50 a plate. I think Hunter ate twice as much as me. What happens when he's an actual teenager?





-- Post From My iPhone

Grayson quotes from today.

"It's tooooo fuzzy"

"I love cheat sheets, you can cheat off of them."

"Hurry and take the photo Uncle Tommy this sweaters itchy."

Dr. Who made an appearance on Halloween.




So did his international assistant.

Happy Birthday

I was going through our photos today putting together my annual year in review photo book for the fam. I can't believe I never posted this picture from Sean's 40th birthday with family on Mt. Hood. I'm only 6 months behind.

A mother's eternal struggle with her sons. Their hair. I'm pretty easy going about hair but I'm ready to see those big brown eyes again.


Conversation with Gray while he was sitting on my lap:

Gray: I'll be careful mommy. I don't want to hurt the baby in your tummy.

Mom: gray, mommy doesn't have a baby in her tummy. Would you like to have a little brother or sister?

Gray: yes. I don't want to be the youngest anymore.

The nines

-- Post From My iPhone

The Diagram

Anyone else feel they need to make a spreadsheet to track their Flu and H1N1 vaccines this year?

Almost time

Less than 24 hours till the big day. The fun has already started.








-- Post From My iPhone

Kindergarten

I have this huge struggle every school picture season. To buy or not to buy. In my elementary days it was always the D package for us, which meant the end of the line for me. As an adult every time I see that Lifetouch envelope in backpacks all those end of the line feelings come back. Let me preference by saying that I was a pretty competitive elementary school student and I never liked being at the end of any line.

Our family takes lots and lots and lots of photos. There is no need for cheap school pictures in our lives. I always get the class picture but as for the individuals sometimes I get a few just to make my elementary school self feel better.

I also don't believe in school picture retakes. 2 years ago picture day was on the first day of preschool at 8:15am for Grayson. Sooooo many tears and the picture was the saddest sweetest picture ever. What they didn't tell me was that for every holiday gift the kids made they were going to attach the student's school picture right in the middle. I have about 6 handmade Grayson gifts with that sad little face looking at me seeming to say, "Why mom why?"

We just got Grayson's school picture today. It makes me smile every time. I wonder if 20 years from now some schoolmates girlfriend will be checking out his picture books and wonder what ever happened to that kid?

Snake Hunt

-- Post From My iPhone

The Oregon Trail

We hit the Oregon Trail.


Well not quite Oregon Trail but on the way. Bottle Up.


Reenactment of pioneer Mr. Boatman.


Pioneer Schooner.


Sumpter. First it was Sumter without the P.
Working Ghost Town.


Our gold.

Road Trip

The Sunseeker


Path to Wallowa Lake


Trout Fishing


Daryl

Joys of the first fish.

I haven't posted one photograph from our Oregon RV trip yet. Starting to feel guilty. I think I'm still processing the epic event.

920 miles
10 nights in the rv
4 oregon state parks
1 trailer park
1 private rv park
3 bald eagles
2 crappie fish
1 deer named daryl
countless bike rides
countless gold mining flakes

Make a Wish

They just grow bigger in Eastern Oregon.


It took all three. Hope they got their wishes.

Opossum

Sean thought he heard water dripping in the garage. After closer inspection he discovered a sweet little opossum trapped in a storage bin that had no lid. Must have fallen in and couldn't climb back out. There is a video tape of the rescue but it was a very mild mannered rescue. No "When Animals Attack" footage. We talk of the opossum often and hope family was nearby.

Another Great Dinner

Little M blends in perfectly with this gang.

Plate & Pitchfork

Beautiful night among the apples trees with Liz and Eric at Plate & Pitchfork.

Ford Farms on Sauvie Island... Crowley Wines... Chef Lane from clarklewis... Chef Lockett from Bluehour... produce from Foodworks, a Janus Youth Program...

3 little gifts

The gift of friendship.


The gift of wisdom for her years.


The gift of softening his mother's heart.

Cockroach

Sure... I'll hold the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach for you.


Cool.... I'm holding a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach.


Help... Not sure I wanted to hold it for 20 minutes.