One of Each

Christmas is always a maxed-out holiday for us. Of course, I have quite a few pictures. So, I only chose one picture from each Christmas event to share...

On the 22nd, we traveled the icy highway to Camp 18 for dinner with my immediate family. We then opened gifts from each other at Mom and Dad's. Their house is all torn up from the water damage, but Mom still put up a little tree with a few decorations. Below is a pic of us all at Camp 18.

Christmas Eve was spent at our house this year. I really enjoyed having everyone over. I think there were 26 people in all...and EVERYone was able to sit down for dinner! This was also the first year we decided to play the "gift game!" I think it was a hit! After gifts, some of us girls decided to do MK makeovers! Fun fun! Below is a pic of the "adult table" in the living room. I had to do some rearranging of some furniture =)

Mom, Dad, Elise, and Henry (Chris had to work) stayed the night Christmas Eve so that we could do our traditional Christmas morning with stockings. Mom brought her stockings from home and the kids got gifts in 2 different stockings (ours and hers). Soren also gave his pacifiers to Santa this year (just like Synnove did last year). Below is a pic of Dad reading the letter Santa gave Soren for giving him his "guckies."

After opening stockings, we all headed over to Grandma Barb's house. I just realized I didn't take the opportunity to snap photos of her kitchen all finished..oops! It looks 100% better than it did before!! Anyway, Great Grandma Backe's health has been steadily declining, and hasn't been over to the house in quite some time. She made it over for Christmas dinner! Below is a pic of her coming in to see Grandma's kitchen all redone (it was the first thing she wanted to see when she walked through the door). Of course, she loved it. Tay was excited to see her, and snuggled with her on the couch for a bit.

The next day, we made the trip to Steve's house in Vancouver to spend Christmas with Adam's family. I thought we were just going to be there for a short time to open gifts since Patty had already hosted Christmas the day before. Little did I know, they all waited to celebrate with us! We had a full Christmas dinner and spent the entire day visiting! We were even able to make it home by 8:30...just in time to put the kids to bed.

Preschool Christmas Festivities

On Thursday, Synnove performed in her very first Christmas program. They acted out the story of Baby Jesus and sang a few songs. It was so incredibly cute! I volunteered to help out, so I was in charge of the 5 sheep below...

Left to right: Daisy (wouldn't put on sheep costume), Katie, Synnove, Carlie, and Grace. This is the girls putting on their best camera faces for the 5 minute photo-op time...ha ha!

The next day was the last day of preschool before the new year, so Miss Kara deemed it Pajama Day! I was so lucky to be snack helper for the day. Grandma Patty had spent the night the night before because she came for Synnove's program, so she put our hair in festive pig-tails before school. We played games and made a special egg-free (with substitute), soy-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, wheat-free, nut-free, and maybe a couple of other "free(s)" Birthday cake for Baby Jesus! Sound gross, I know, but the cake was surprisingly delicious! Wanna try it? Click HERE!

Novie and I...Soren in the background playing with Legos.

Everyone got the chance to use the mixer. Miss Kara always includes Soren in on the fun during my snack helper days...he fits right in.

Weesie's Birthday

My sister turned 23 on the 10th! Chris invited the family over to their place for pizza and ice cream on her birthday. I had a feeling he had a pretty big surprise for her...but I didn't think it would be THIS big! Spoiled brat...

On the 1st Weekend of Christmas...

The first weekend in December was jam-packed full of fun! We had several plans for Saturday, but we ended up ditching them all for varying reasons. So, we spent the whole of Saturday getting the house ready for Christmas. We had heard of a u-cut tree place way out in Brownsmead, so we headed out late morning, hoping to find some signs to follow. We ended up at Aldrich Point Dairy and found the perfect Noble Fir for $25!

The kids really enjoyed decorating the tree this year. I wasn't as into it, and didn't care how the tree looked. In fact, I only put out a couple of decorations. We didn't even put lights on the house. I don't know what my deal was. That all changed last week when my parents' house flooded when a pipe broke in their attic during the freeze. I volunteered to have Christmas at our house! Sitting 30 people down to dinner will be a bit of a challenge...but I'm up for it!

On Sunday (the 6th), we headed up to Vancouver to Steve's house for a Christmas party. Patty even invited Santa and Mrs. Claus over for the fun! The kids were so surprised when he and his wife arrived! Soren was a bit reserved at first and wouldn't even sit in the picture with all the kids. Synnove enjoyed visiting with Mrs. Claus for the majority of the time that they were there. Santa gave each of the kids a gift while they sat on his knee and asked him for what they really wanted for Christmas. Before the afternoon was over, EVERYone had sat on Santa's knee...including Steve's reluctant sons and their wives.

Once Soren saw that Santa wasn't so bad and that each kid was getting a gift, he started to like him. I even caught a picture of him on Santa's lap...smiling!

Synnove loved Santa this year! She was a bit shy as usual, but was anxious to go up and talk with him. He really was a great Santa...with a real beard!

The party was nice. We got to meet Steve's 2 son's and their families, and hope to meet his daughter soon. We all enjoyed cookies, candy, and cheese fondue! However, while eating some cheese, my crown popped off! I have a root canal scheduled for after the new year. Merry Christmas to me!!

Some of November

As you already know, November was a busy one. Thank goodness I keep my camera in my purse (most of the time) otherwise, I wouldn't have remembered much from the last month!

Synnove's preschool went on a field trip to one of the local fire stations. Soren is such a big boy. He always fits right in. He didn't fit so well in the fire suit though. Lots of kids tried it on, but Soren fell over with the weight (I caught him in time)!

During a visit to the coffee shop, Chris happened to be parked outside waiting to pick up one of the bar pilots. Elise and I took the kids out to say "hi." Then Chris decided to show off by cutting some "Columbia Cookies!"

The weekend after Thanksgiving, Ann was one of the 10 finalists to compete at the "Lum's Country Showdown" for a chance to open for an Andy Griggs concert that was gonna take place in town. She did an incredible job...she really did! Unfortunately, the music was too loud during her songs and it was hard to hear her. It was a tough competition with some really good local talent. The judges were deaf...'nough said.

We had the privilege of attending Tayanah's 2nd birthday party! Tay is my cousin Wesley's first-born...and he and his wife Stephanie have another little girl on the way! Her birthday is actually in December, but Wes was gonna be on a boat for the first two weeks of December (he works for Tidewater Barge Line), so they celebrated it early. Anyway, I came in a different car than Adam and the kids and Tay was quite disappointed when Synnove and Soren didn't follow me through the door. She anxiously waited by the window until they arrived. The kids had a great time playing...in fact Soren is STILL carrying around his party favor bag. He didn't put that thing down for a week straight...even to the bathroom!

I Used to Find SO Many Things to Blog About...

...and I suppose I still do. However, I'm having a hard time finding the time. This last week has been wondrous. I've been able to do laundry, lounge in my jammies, cook dinner, and tuck my babies into bed. The entire month of November painted a completely different picture, and I was utterly overwhelmed.

As you all know, I started my own Mary Kay business a few weeks back. And I can honestly say that I'm really enjoying myself. God has a way of preparing us for such ventures, and I know that the details of my life, especially over the past year, have led me to where I am today. I certainly didn't see it coming. It was never my dream to sell skincare and cosmetics. Never. I wish I had the words and the time to fully convey...*sigh*....nevermind.

I almost don't want to share anything at all. I don't want people to half listen to me thinking that I have ulterior motives to sucker them out of their hard-earned money. My biggest fear is that people are going to avoid me like the plague. It is not my intent to "sell" anyone anything...that's not the part of the business I like so much. And, I guess, that's the part I'm leaving up to God. My part is to share what I know and love about Mary Kay, let people try out the products, and hope that they love them as much as I do.

Mary Kay wasn't the only thing occupying my time last month. As I blogged about earlier, Adam was hunting and fixing broken cars, and I was juggling between MK, wallpapering, painting, and Bunco! If it wasn't one thing, it was another. I suppose the hardest part is living out in Svensen. It's not just a quick jaunt to ANYwhere, it's always a 20-30 minute drive. We spent many evenings bathing the kids at Grandma's before heading home with them in their jammies. Thanksgiving was a welcome break, and now we're finally getting back into the swing of things. But, with Christmas on the way, "normal" won't really return for another month or so.

We're getting our tree today! I'm looking forward to getting into the Christmas spirit. For some reason, I'm not as into it as usual. Maybe it's the lack of funds?? Ha ha! 'Tis the season!

Family Pictures

We had our first ever family photos done in the first week of October. I had been planning for these photos for quite some time and took a handful of trips to Beaverton, Longview, Astoria, Seaside to find our outfits. I went to many many stores and ended up purchasing our outfits from 9 different stores! 10 if you count the bows in Synnove's hair. What can I say? I had a vision.

James Olson, the photographer, didn't want to do the photos in October for fear the weather would turn bad. But, because of various scheduling issues, we had no other choice. Thankfully, the weather was absolutely gorgeous that week! Half of the photos are taken by our house, while the others are taken just a few miles away, near Svensen Island.

The kids were somewhat cooperative. Synnove was too silly, and Soren was too serious...there was no in between. James tried his best and I'm VERY happy with the way they turned out.

To view some of the photos from the session, click HERE! James is the most awesome and reasonable gig in town. He's done senior pictures for at least 4 of my cousins, and he did my sister's wedding. Check out his website at www.alderbrookimaging.net

Occupied

I apologize to all of my faithful readers, as life has taken over. I hope to gather some sort of focused thought by Thanksgiving. Until then, I'll leave you with this...

Since my last post (10 days ago)...

• Potty training
• Wallpaper
• Play date
• Preschool
• Board meeting
• Bunco
• Working at the Wheelhouse
• Longview
• Putting some SERIOUS miles on the car
• Deliveries
• More bunco!
• More wallpaper
• Mary Kay
• Facials and parties
• Catching up with old friends
• Car problems
• 5+ nights at my parents'
• Hunting, hunting, HUNTING
• Shopping
• Birthday for Grandma
• Did I mention hunting?
• Oh, and more Mary Kay!
• There has not been ONE night since my last post that I have managed to get to bed before midnight.

Hooray for Saving $40 a Month!

I think that last week was one of the most stressful and horrendous weeks I've had in a long time. It seemed as if every aspect of my life was off kilter in some way, and the only thing constant was my kids. Every single day presented a new challenge, and the burden was starting to make my feet ache. I was neither sad or depressed, just tired and overwhelmed.

About halfway into my week we had some family staying over for a couple of days. During that time, my little Soren decided it was time he learn how to "potty in the potty chair!" I couldn't believe it. I wish I could accurately explain my state of mind last week so that you could fully comprehend what I was feeling the moment he said "mommy, I have to go potty!" Instead, I'll just tell you a bit about Soren's overall potty training experience...

I suppose it was early spring when Soren first expressed some interest in learning how to be a big boy (My "Sweet Guy" ). He hated a wet diaper, but didn't know how to actually go in the potty. I think he managed to do it one time. After that, the "I hate my wet diaper" phase fizzled. Life got busy with summer and I decided not to pursue training him. All of the advice I got from other mom's seemed to be..."he'll let you know when he's ready, so don't worry about it." So, I didn't.

Summer was in full swing and Soren started wetting through his diapers every night. It was so incredibly frustrating having to wash sheets every single day. I doubled up on diapers and that seemed to work about half the time. After a few weeks of that I was still fed up, so I began covering his diaper with Synnove's plastic training pants...they were pink. For some reason, they don't sell white plastic training pants anymore...the choice is either pink or blue. Soren didn't seem to mind, and the idea seemed to work. Eventually, I bought a couple more pairs and he has worn them every night since. And after our camping trip with the Thompson's, they were deemed "fancy pants." Ha ha =)

By late summer I was getting tired of buying diapers and decided I would do some training. I chose a day or two when we had nothing going on and confined him to the kitchen (the only non-carpeted section of the house). I know, it sounds kinda mean, but it wasn't all that bad. I made sure to provide him with lots of toys and left the TV off so that he wouldn't get sad for not being able to watch with Synnove. He really was a good boy and hardly complained. I gave him salty snacks and lots of juice and put his little potty in the kitchen with him. I tried very hard not to let my anger get the best of me after he peed on the floor for the 8th time...2 days in a row. I think he may have made it to the potty one time...maybe 2??

After that, I decided to just give up for a while. Obviously, he wasn't ready. I was disappointed because he was turning 3 in just a couple of months, and I felt he should be trained by that time. I didn't dwell on it though.


A couple of weeks before his 3rd birthday I thought I'd give it another go. This time, I made up a sticker chart for him and we tackled the same drill. Again, there was more pee on the floor than in the potty. However, by mid-day, he was starting to get it! He made it to the potty about half the time and I thought for sure we were going to have complete success by the end of the next day. He was successful enough for me to start putting pull-ups on him and allowing him to go to other areas of the house. Pull-ups are expensive (even the generic brands) and I didn't want to have to buy more, so I used them sparingly. Unfortunately, only a few minutes after I put on his first Pull-up, he peed his pants. 3 Pull-ups within a 1-2 hour period and I was done. He went back to the kitchen with training underwear.

After that, he wore Pull-ups over the span of a couple of days and had few successes, so I just switched him back to diapers and gave up. I knew that he was sincerely trying, but he just couldn't quite figure it out. Oh, and I forgot to mention, by this time he was completely "poop-trained." So, that was nice!

A month or so later it turned into last week. He announced he had to go potty and he's only had about 5 or 6 accidents since (not including night time and nap time)! He's even gone potty at Costco and the church nursery! He's been wearing a diaper for the last week, until today when I finally put some Pull-ups on him. He peed on the floor this morning while I was trying to get his diaper off for him to potty after he got up...but oh well. He's really really trying, and I'm soooo proud of him! His sticker chart should be full by the end of this week, then maybe we'll be able to put him in his fancy Thomas the Tank Engine undies!

Table Talk

So, we're all sitting at the table eating dinner when Synnove burps and starts laughing uncontrollably...

I say, "Synnove, it's not lady-like to burp out loud and laugh about it. "
Then Soren chimes in with, "It's daddy-like."

Ha ha, looks like the kids aren't the only ones who need a lesson in manners =)

Rainy Day Paint Project

Recently, one of my dear Grandmothers had a series of unfortunate events that has landed her kitchenless for the last month. Long story short, she's getting some new stuff, and I'm helping her revamp her walls...NOT an easy task. But, that's a blog for another day. ANYway, while prepping her walls and taking things down, I managed to accidentally break the letter sorter that she has had for umpteen years. She wasn't too hurt by it, decided it could easily be fixed, and left it at that. Of course, I felt bad and had to figure some way to make it up to her. I thought I'd go to Ross and pick one up for cheap, but then I remembered that I actually had one at home! I had picked up an old one at Goodwill one day thinking I would repaint it and use it. I never found the time or motivation to do so and planned on re-donating it back to Goodwill on my next trip. As soon as I found a chance, I pulled it out and started brainstorming.

First, I shabbily painted it with a light green paint. Then, it sat on the counter for a couple of weeks while I spent a handful of hours of "research" on the computer. When I finally figured out what I was going to do, I went to www.letteringdelights.com to find a font that I could copy. I copied several fonts to my photo-editing software, sized them appropriately, and printed them out. Then, I cut out the words, scribbled pencil all over the back, then traced over the front onto the letter sorter so that I would have an exact copy to paint over. It worked perfectly. Unfortunately, I did quite a few re-paintings as I couldn't decide on the right font and color. OH, and I used an old stencil that I had to make a cool background before tracing a painting the words. After that was all finished, I spent a good hour or two perfecting it. It turned out way better than I originally imagined.

I'm sure she'll like it, as it was made with love =) I haven't given it to her yet...so if you're reading this blog Grandma...SURPRISE!

Took a "before" pic shortly after I started painting.

"After"

Close-up

Halloween

For Halloween we had planned to go trick-or-treating with Auntie Alice and Fi Fi. Auntie was feelin' pretty sore from Nutcracker practice, so just Fi Fi came. We decided to head to Warrenton and pop in on a few people we knew. We even went to my old neighborhood and visited my old house from when I was a kid (moved out when I was 14). We actually started there, and then walked from house to house all the way to my parents' house. Yes, my parents only moved a few blocks away from their old house. On the way, we stopped at our friend's new place (Matt and Carrie Smith) to say "hi." They actually just moved into the place where my great grandma used to live! Anyway, we ran into them outside their place and walked with them up to Anchor Street to visit all the neighbors we knew (Both Carrie and I have a long family history on Anchor Street)and eventually ended up at my Mom and Dad's. We all visited for a while, then headed home.

At Don and Alice's

The kids and the Smiths at my parent's house

The best part...

Preschool Pumpkin Patch

So, the kids went to a little pumpkin patch on Friday at a little farm out in Brownsmead. They all got to dress up (including little brother's and sisters) for the day. It was so fun seeing how excited they all were. Most of the parents went as well and then we all came back to school to play games and read stories.

Soren, Synnove, and Synnove's friend Grace.

Feeding the baby cows

Choosing their pumpkins

Left to right...Soren, Synnove, Joshua, Kevin, Miss Kara, Carson (Carlie's little bro), Cody, Grace, Carlie, Katie, Colby, Landen, Skyler, Daisy

Instead of bobbing for apples, the kids had to bite doughnuts from a string without using their hands...it's harder than it looks. There were a few left over, so the kids made Miss Kara do it, AND Landen's dad (on the left).

I Found My Way "In"

I'll spare you the long details...

I am, as of yesterday, a beauty consultant for Mary Kay!

I'm anxious, excited, incredibly overwhelmed, and scared to death, but it seems as if things are just sort of falling into place. All (I guess I should say "most") signs are pointing towards "GO FOR IT!" So I am.

That's all for now...more to come!

10 Years Ago Today...

...I met my husband. It was not love at first sight, but I suppose it was love at fist "day"...if there is such a thing. I was invited by a friend who lived on my floor to go down to OSU for a football game. I had never been, so I thought it would be fun. I had a few friends down there and one of my roommates was planning to go down that same weekend. Anyway, a friend of Kristin's (the girl who asked me to go) was planning to pick us up early that Saturday morning since neither of us had a car. When we arrived, and finally walked into his (Brad's) dorm, life was only just beginning to stir. I was on guard, as I knew there would be many guys lurking about waiting for fresh meat to prey on...or at least that's what I was thinking.

We hopped on the elevator and were greeted by a grungy looking OSUer sporting an Eric Cartman t-shirt, pajama pants, glasses, and a vacuum. He tried talking with us, but I just gave him the eye. When we reached the 5th floor of Cauthorn Hall, I held my breath, for the stench of beer and vomit lingered in the air. To make matters worse, the grungy vacuum cleaner guy followed us all the way into the same room. I guess Brad and him were roommates. I vaguely remember a conversation about why he brought the vacuum...I may have thought he was the floor janitor. Anyway, he said that he had heard that "ladies" were visiting and so he thought he would make the room more presentable. Right then and there, grungy Eric Cartman guy scored quite a few points with me!

The happenings of the day are kinda fuzzy. I recall visiting Panda Express and playing a handful of games of Mario Cart. When game time came around, we started to head out. By this time, I had finally learned vacuum guy's name, Adam, and we were expecting him to come with us. But, to my surprise, he decided to skip the festivities to go study! Who studies on a Saturday night...at OSU??? Anyway, we go to the game and come back late. By that time, Adam had returned and we hung out in their dorm for a while. Adam and I talked, while Kristin and Brad flirted. It was unclear, but I thought Adam had a girlfriend. It was a disappointing thought, but I couldn't help thinking that this guy could be the one for me. I kid you not...I was more taken with this grungy Eric Cartman t-shirt vacuum guy than any other guy I have ever come in contact with. In just our short little conversation I learned how much we had in common, and how much I really wanted to get to know him more.

The next morning, I learned that Adam went to church. And, the points just keep piling up!! He came back in time to say goodbye before we left...and brought his girlfriend. She was thin, pretty, smart. And she made sure to let me know that Adam was "hers." I left feeling a bit bummed, but hopeful...especially since he took the time to escort us all out of the dorm and say goodbye. He even gave me a "look."

The rest, as they say, is history...good, bad, and even some ugly. However, I wouldn't trade a single moment. I love you Adam...happy 10th sort-of-anniversary!

Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

Owl Sighting

Last night Adam went outside to go searching for a pesky opossum that had been stealing all of Charlie's food and bugging the chickens. He was not out there 30 seconds when I heard him yelling..."NICOLE!!! Get the camera!!" I hurried on my shoes and headed outside to find he had spotlighted an owl. The owl didn't seem to care that he was shining lights at him and that I was getting very close to snap several pictures. I have to admit, it was pretty neat.

Barred Owl...better known as the "Hoot Owl"

Finding My Way "In"

With fall in full swing, I have become adjusted to my new life as "mom of a preschooler." I love this life, as I get to crawl out of my shell (home) and become an active member of the adult world. My duties haven't changed much, but I get to add chauffeur and snack helper to my long list of jobs. While dropping off or picking up Synnove from school, I have the privilege of saying "hi" or striking up a short conversation with other moms. To most, I'm sure this small bit of interaction seems hardly mentionable...but to me, it's monumental.

Being from a small town, I know what it's like. You know...the security and sense of camaraderie you get to experience from living in a small community. It has it's cons, but the pros greatly outweigh them (depending on the kind of reputation you have!) However, in order to be "in" the community, you must actually know some of the community members. And even though Knappa/Svensen is only a short jaunt away from Warrenton, I know very few people here. Sure, I may know of them or have heard their names before, but that's about it.

In my younger years, while living in Warrenton, I hardly had to worry about finding people I knew. My dad had grown up there, my mom in Astoria. Each of their families had made a name for themselves, and many knew who they were. My grandfather actually did most of his growing up in Svensen and my great grandparents had strong ties here. However, their generation in gone, and my grandpa raised his family in Astoria and lives there still.

Anyway, where am I going with this? Well, I suppose I'm just trying to illustrate the fact that Knappa/Svensen just isn't my community...yet. I actually have to try to form connections and relationships with people I don't know. Now, if I were living in the city or in a bigger town, I wouldn't really have to try at all. How do I explain this? Hmm...in the city, you can be invisible, yet still have a bunch of great friends and acquaintances. In a small town, you cannot be invisible...and finding great friends is like sorority rush week. Don't get me wrong, the people here are wonderful and nice...however, they all have lived here for most of their lives and already have great friends...they don't really need new ones (ME!).

Fortunately, I actually do have a few ties here, and many of the folks out here know or have at least heard of one of my many relatives. I may strike up a conversation with a total stranger...they ask "so, you from here?" I say "sort of, I'm from Warrenton...my maiden name is....do you know so and so?" they say, "no, but I know so and so" I say "oh, I don't know them, but I've heard the name...do you know who so and so is?" they say, "oh yeah, they are my mom's uncle's cousin's cousin's girlfriend!" Overexaggeration? Hardly.

Back to what I was saying before...I'm enjoying this opportunity to form small connections with the people I see at Synnove's little school. It's just the beginning of my forever life here. Hopefully, I win a bid at AKS (Alpha Knappa Svensen)! I can't believe I just wrote that...I'm such a dweeb.

Synnove's Room: Before and After

We have finally finished Synnove's room (minus a couple of small details)! It all started the day we took possession of the house. Chris and I quickly painted her room before we were to move in. It wasn't until this last weekend that Adam and I ripped up the carpet and put in her new flooring (my birthday present). We worked hard all day Saturday, and then we began putting in the moulding after I came home from the Great Columbia Crossing. We were a few feet short, so I headed to town yesterday to pick up more. Unfortunately, I got a flat tire, and the whole day was completely shot. Ugh...what a day! Anyway, Adam came home from work today with enough time to finish up. I just now touched up the paint and finished replacing Synnove's things. The flooring (laminate purchased at Costco) turned out beautifully, despite a couple of minor installation issues. Installing a floor was a first for us!

These 2 photos were taken about a year before we bought the house.

These photos were taken 15 minutes ago...

Woo Hoo!! One room down...the rest of the house to go!

Great Columbia Crossing 10k

Last winter Elise asked me if I wanted to do the "Great Columbia Crossing" with her the next fall. She thought it would be a fun thing to do, and she really wanted the stupid t-shirt. I agreed and we made plans to do so. Over the summer, Aunt Jodie decided she wanted to join us. So, she and her daughter Jordan came with us.

I had never done a walk/run before and was very surprised at how many people were there! I had no idea how many people come from near and far just to walk/run 6 miles across a bridge. Wait....let me rephrase: I had no idea how many people come from near and far just to PAY to walk/run 6 miles across a bridge! We parked at the Port of Astoria and took a shuttle to Dismal Nitch in Washington. Although freezing, we had fun people-watching and visiting with people we knew.

We all complained about having to park so far away from the shuttle, as it was taking away from our energy to do the long walk. We wanted to stay in the truck and keep warm (it was REALLY cold out!), but we heard rumors that the shuttle only ran until 7:30 (run started at 9).

Waiting at Dismal Nitch

Our sweet numbers...I know, I know...you wanna be us.

Jordan noticed this killer manatee backpack...it became the center of our conversation for quite some time. It's now our team mascot. We're already making plans for next year. I would elaborate, but it wouldn't be as funny to you as it is to us.

We were so excited when 9:00 finally came around...not so much to do the walk, but to finally get warm. They let the runners go first and then the walkers (us). There were sooo many people, that it was hard to walk at a good pace. We had to do a lot of maneuvering to make any headway. We weren't trying to race or anything, just trying to walk at a pace faster than a stroll. We were hoping that once we reached the bridge that people would have spread out a bit. It did get easier with every mile, but it was still very crowded the entire way.

Leaving Dismal Nitch

I snapped a shot of the floods of people across the bend...

Once on the bridge, we followed the manatee backpack for quite a while...not on purpose.

Almost to the incline! Lori on the right.

Once off the bridge, my legs were noodles, but we still had about a mile to go. It took us 1 hour and 42 minutes to finish. It would have been better if we didn't have to weave through all the people. Maybe next year? We'll see about that...

A is for Apple Pie

I made apple pie today with the apples from my Mom and Dad's house. I must have over mixed the pastry, cause it kept tearing in places and I had to patch it several times. I also got all preschooly and put an "A" and some little apples on it. I thought it was cute, so I snapped a pic.

A Birthday Party For Soren

It really was a nice party. Many people came despite the fact that some family was away hunting in Eastern Oregon. Last year, Soren's party was pretty quiet. It rained and lots of people couldn't make it. This year, the sun was shining and the house was full of chatter!

It was fun to have some little ones over! Tayahnna, Faith Wilson, and Alice enjoyed the toy explosion downstairs.

It was a "Bob The Builder" themed party, so he got lots of builder-type toys!
Adam and I got him his first big-boy bike!

It is really hard to find "Bob The Builder" toys and party supplies as it has been phased out of stores. I bought all of his party supplies off of Ebay, including the cake decorating kit. Home Baking did a wonderful job on the cake!

Full House.

Enjoying the sunshine.

The kids struggled to eat outside while being attacked by the occasional yellow jacket.

CAUGHT!