Family Bonding in Beaverton

Just out of curiosity, all you fellow Blogger.com users, do you use the new version Blogger offers when composing a post or the old-fashioned, simple version?  I'm not one on change, so I've held on to the simple version up until now - and may even revert back.  The only reason I tried out the "new and improved" was just to get that video uploaded in my previous post.  Let me know if you are using the newer format and perhaps why I should...

We are currently snuggled up in a Hilton Garden Inn in Beaverton, Oregon right now.  We cashed in some Hilton Honors points (that we didn't even know we had) to get outta dodge and cash in some gift cards and do some Christmas exchanges at stores found up north near Portland. 

It's been a cozy time up here.  After dropping Sydney off with Michele, we got into the hotel at around 8pm Friday night.  This morning, after some German Pancakes at Elmers, we were off early to do some shopping with the kids - and able to polish off our adventures to get back in here in our room to watch some NFL by about 1pm.  NICE!  Not so nice, though - the outcomes of both games.  Tebow's game isn't over, but at this point, even his late game heroics are probably not going to turn the tide on this lopsided score.

Throw in some visits to the pool and hot tub, a lot of use of my Kindle, and every other form of technology available used by the kids - we've kept ourselves form boredom, that's for sure.

Tomorrow, John will drop us off at the Schillings, while he returns solo to head to work on Monday while the kids take their Martin Luther King holiday off with their cousins.

There's not a whole lot of excitement to this little weekend adventure - not much photo-worthy - but it's family bonding, that's for sure.  There's something about being in the small confines of hotel room space that actually brings out some of the best in our family unity (and some of the worst....really, Brayden "STOP PESTERING!"....and Mikayla "STOP OVER-REACTING!"....as for me, what could be said is "STOP EATING!"....I guess since Monday's a holiday, maybe Tuesday will be the day to start fresh!)

I suppose there is one aspect of excitement...it's supposed to snow tonight.  Not massive accumulations or anything, but there could be snow showers in the valley for the next two days.  That would be such an improvement to the cold rain of today.

For many of you out there, it is a three day weekend - hope you all are enjoying it to its fullest!