The Cozy Corner

Pinterest Reviews

2012-02-15T06:30:00.000-08:00

I've already addressed the fact that I am a Pinterest follower. It really is such a cool concept - and I find myself wandering for great amounts of time through all sorts of topics, tracking back to new people and blogs to follow.

With all the recipes I have for sweets and desserts, I've laughingly addressed my Pinterest Favorite Recipes board as my "menu for Heaven" - in that there's no way I could ever make all those foods, but more importantly - EAT them, without major ramifications to my "earthly body"! But, it sure is fun looking. =)

Practically speaking, it's been fun to search out recipes for next year's Harlow Auction Desserts. I think I found one for sure, as the morning after posting it, I had an email indicating 36 different people had repinned it. Given the secret to having your dessert get picked early is picking a taste that appeals to a wide audience and looks pretty....I think it might be a winner. You can get a an advanced preview here.

There were two recipes I did give a try last week that were not sweets. I tried the supposed Copycat to PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps recipe and then a slower cooker recipe for Orange Chicken.

The Lettuce Wrap recipe was TIME CONSUMING....it made me realize that the price for this famous appetizer in the restaurant might not be too far off base considering the vast array of ingredients and chopping time for it all. It was kind of fun for me to put together for my Thursday Night Ladies, though, so to that degree it was a gratifying experiment. However, it took a visit to 3 stores to accumulate all the ingredients. It took a couple of hours to put together. And while the texture and look were pretty "spot-on", the taste was just slightly off. It might have been the brands of different sauces I used.

The Orange Chicken was kind of fun as it inspired a deep fryer purchase from Walmart. I spent all of $9 on the fryer and $4.50 for a mini Cuisinart style chopper....major clearance finds! So, once again I ended up with a result with the perfect consistency (after boiling the sauce up a bit more in a skillet). However, I was not a fan of the very strong orange concentrate taste. If you try it for yourself, I'd suggest halving the concentrate in it.

Tonight I tried this. Slow cooking pork tenderloin in root beer, pretty strange right? But, upon reading about it, apparently it works as an amazing tenderizer. The kids both loved it, though next time I'll probably use a little less sauce (about one standard size container of bbq sauce). As for the tenderloin, I used Costco's Kirkland brand, sold in a four-pack in their meat section. Good stuff!

On to Pinterest cleaning inspirations.

Yesterday, I tried this to clean my couches. Ours are brown, so they've definitely hid dirt and wear much better than any in our past. But, the "after" effect was noticeable, and it was really a rather painless process to complete.

I also purchased some Dawn and hydrogen peroxide to give this a try on some favorite white tank tops and t-shirts that have gotten dingy. Instead of spot-cleaning, I put a pile of about 8 items in my sink and just let them soak for a couple of hours. I then transferred the pile into my washing machine (minus any additional detergent) and hit the rinse cycle. I bet you might guess where I'm going with this.... =) That much Dawn in a high efficiency front load washing machine is not a good idea. Even after a couple of repeat cycles, it was still loaded with foamy suds. On the positive side, Mikayla and Christina had a blast pulling it out and playing with it (pretty clean fun to let them indulge in....not to mention they helped rid the machine of it). I ended up transferring the whole load to the bathtub and rinsed it under the shower for a while. That was the trick, as the last run through the washing machine was successful. As for results, yes, a lot brighter, but not all the "armpit stains" disappeared completely. I'm not sure if it was worth all the effort, but it was worth a shot to try.

How about any of you other readers out there, any personal test-run of popular Pinterest ideas you have to review?

Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-14T08:13:00.000-08:00

I saw this idea on Pinterest....looked easy enough to make for the kids this morning with a tube of Pillsbury Orange Rolls.

When Brayden came in, he said, "Oh cute, 'Moustache Rolls'"....

Uh close, but not quite!

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

Restoring My Soul

2012-02-11T12:19:00.000-08:00

If you look closely at the bottom of this plaque, you'll see "Sunriver Restores My Soul"...the rest of the history lesson is lost on me - that's all that resonated with me.

We are here for a mere 36 hours, but already, my soul feels restored. The snow blanketing the ground, the smell of the pine, and the feel of the brilliant sunshine.....sigh. Not to mention the hot tub which is one of the best we've come across in the houses we've rented from around here, set at an ideal 103 degrees - perfect to spend vast amounts of time reading from my Kindle.

We are here as a perk from John's work, as he is currently making an appearance at an Oregon Dental Association conference in Sisters*. He left around 7 this morning, and he'll be back by around 1, earning our stay. To keep me, Sydney, and the kids company, we brought along the Whites, and Michele and the girls. We'll have to check out at 11am tomorrow, but the journey is worth it.

So, here's to making the best of our short stay in Central Oregon, and savoring every little minute.

* With the mention of Oregon Dental Association and the reference to John working for Tyson Steele Marketing, I feel like now might be a good time to clarify what it is John does for a career. He works with "Tyson Steele", the person, who created a marketing company used for higher-end dental practices. It is a very small company that runs out of a Victorian-style house-converted-into-office in downtown Eugene. They employ around 8 folks at any given time. John is the VP of Sales - meaning, he's the one who follows up on all leads and determines if potential clients would be good fits for the services Tyson Steele (the company) has to offer. That's a simplified explanation...it's certainly never a career John ever would have dreamed of aspiring too, but it is a PERFECT fit for his skill-set and occupational giftedness.

Lane County Historical Museum

2012-02-08T16:22:00.000-08:00

In the fourth grade curriculum at our kids' school, the Oregon Trail is a very big deal. The whole second half of the year is dedicated towards activities including a ho-down, simulations, reports, and creating miniature "wagons" with all the supplies needed.

To kick off the curriculum, a field trip is planned to the Lane County Historical Museum. It's just across town from the school, and for the short hour and a half we were there, I feel like they did an excellent job giving the kids a real taste of what the journey along the Oregon Trail was like and what the day of a pioneer would include. I had gone when Brayden was in fourth grade - his experience was a little longer and more tedious, so today was a pleasant surprise.

Also, Mikayla was asked to be one of ten "actors" to be part of the enactments of what a day would look like. It gave me plenty of photo ops.

The Party That I Hosted but Didn't Attend

2012-02-06T20:32:00.000-08:00

Superbowl 46! Woo hoo! For the third year in a row, we had Heather and Kaela take over the social reigns in putting out the invites to create an environment ready to party...

Where the pumpkin-carving party is primarily aimed to the college students, this event is primarily aimed to those out of college - that 20's age group that often gets lost in the mix.

We decided to repeat last year's offerings of Mexican fare. Taco meat is an easy one to keep warm in the crock pots, making it ideal for the kind of party where folks will be grazing for hours on end. Based on these tables, it's that lots of extra food was brought by all the folks that came to visit.

This picture was taken during the first half - when not everyone had even shown up yet!

At halftime, it was time for some football. It's the biggest street game we've ever had, that is for sure!

The view post half-time. Nope, not an inch of carpet to spare - I think we definitely exceeded the capacity in our home (all told, John counted 42 people that came)!

Suzie's husband, Lance, guessed the score of the game PERFECTLY! Way to go Lance (he also caught the winning touchdown in the halftime game!)

Nice T-bow pose, Brayden....these folks were the last of the crew to leave.

So, what you didn't see in any of these pictures - was a picture of me. There's a reason for that. I was in the bedroom lying as still as possible. The headache that I'd been battling since Tuesday, decided to pull out its full arsenal and literally wiped me out. Kaela arrived early, and I'd hoped to just disappear in the bedroom and wake up about 15 minutes before party start time (2pm) - leaving her and the family with the minimal last minute chores left over. However, after taking a mini nap and then getting up to get dressed up, it quickly became clear with the shaky hands and nauseousness, that this wasn't going to work. My one hold-out for hope was that I'd called Mom earlier to see if she could stop by after the movie her and Dad went to watch. She did show up around 3, and for sure, helped the situation, but by then, my body was so far gone in terms of pain overload that I didn't stand a chance at quick recovery. I know it pained Mom to see me like that....I so hate inconveniencing her life to run to my rescue - and yet, I know she'd do it in a heartbeat. I just wish it wasn't necessary.

By about 9pm, I'd dozed just enough to recognize that I'd wake up the next morning feeling significantly better. I'd conquered the worst of it. Honestly, this week (culminating in the total despair that was yesterday) had really taken its toll. I was able to keep the issue at bay through most of the week with medicine and ice, but that's a bit like a victim being given a restraining order from an attacker. Theoretically, you know its not supposed to "get you", but the haunting of it being "just around the corner" is always there. (Not to mention, often the medicine just doesn't do the trick). One of the best pieces I've read regarding physical pain was posted here. It just isn't a whole lot of fun.

Fortunately, I saw Mom again this morning, and I'm doing SIGNIFICANTLY better. Thank you, Lord. Yesterday, I really succumbed to the fear of the what-ifs, the how longs, the how oftens. If I'd even had the ability or energy to cry, I would have done a lot of it - instead it was a lot of stillness. A lot of thinking. A lot of listening to raucous laughter - which is just what I wanted, but a constant reminder of what was being robbed of me - and how many moments of my future would also be robbed.

God doesn't give us what we need to handle for the future, he just promises it in the moment. He got me through yesterday, and I need to trust He'll get me through anything else much worse than that in the future. However, I do have a new determination to pick up those physical therapy exercises and see if I can't regain some control over this demon. Something's gotta give, and I'm determined it's not going to be my future attendance at the very party I'm supposed to host....

Reunited...and It Feels So Good!

2012-02-04T19:05:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I'm a little naive, is that song lyric used for my post title inappropriate? =)

If you count all the women in this picture - you will find a Perfect Ten....all of our past "Tuesday Night Ladies" and current "Thursday Night Ladies" - together again. Courtney (front row, second in from the left) is up at OHSU in med school, but skipped out on Friday's classed to make it down to see us and spend her birthday (4th) weekend at home. Elaina (cuddled next to me in the back row), has a birthday on the 5th. It was perfect, then, that EVERYONE could be in attendance Thursday night, even after a trip down Kimmie's stairs had her and Elaina late as they had to take a trip to the doctor's office en route to my house. (Fortunately, it was just a sprain for Kimmie - you can see her right ankle (far left) taped up a bit).

A few things I notice from this picture. 1.) Our fireplace is not a good backdrop as the white is so marred by the soot. That's why Mikayla and I spent about two hours today repainting it white....my gosh, it looks so good now....we need another reunion so we can do a picture re-do!!! 2.) Stephie looks positively "glowy" these days, huh? (far right). On Monday, she'll be at 12 weeks....woo hoo, girl, you look good pregnant!!! And finally #3.) I am ONE BLESSED GIRL to have these amazing, gorgeous (on the outside and INSIDE) ladies in my life.

Happy Girls Seeing "Happy Feet 2"

2012-02-03T18:42:00.000-08:00

As I'm sure I've mentioned before, my daughter is not much of a "playdate enthusiast". In yet another demonstration of how she takes after her mama, Mikayla likes her downtime at home. She is happily social at school, and does fine when invited to hang out at others' house - but if she were to plan her time in advance, she'd probably prefer a day without after-school plans vs. one that included activities and friends.

It's a bittersweet thing, then, when she finds her friendship circle growing (due to an incredibly "stacked" class of very sweet and social girls) and more of these friends are asking her to visit their homes for playdates. With every playdate she attends, I tally up a mental checklist of all the dates we need to reciprocate. We were getting a bit behind, so I suggested to Mikayla that we take care of them all in one fell swoop by taking a group of girls to go see "Happy Feet 2" at the Dollar Theater. Easy peasy for me, a fun outing for them - and I feel a little bit less guilty for being a slacker in reciprocating playdates.

In the picture below - from left to right:
"new friend" Meg, Mikayla, BF Kenady, Piper, "new friend" Harley, and Anika (Kenady's sister)
And for the record, I did not suggest that they sit on the floor of the dirty theater....they did that all on their own.

The only sour note out of this experience was some hurt feelings that resulted from folks that weren't invited. Oh crud.... One girl in particular had a real hard time that she was not asked to attend, and it turned into a big drama by Friday afternoon. Mikayla was crying, sad that she was upset. There's an extra complication in that the mom of this girl happens to be someone I know and have had my own experiences surrounding hurt feelings with. Ughhhh, this could get messy.

Fortunately, through a series of Facebook Message conversations - the first worded on my FB account to the girl's account by Mikayla was an apology - and then a dialogue between the mom and I today. I am SO THANKFUL to report that while we may have struggled in the past, we definitely are on the same playing field today wanting to look out for our daughters, but not over-coddling them to believe they'll always be in the mix of every invite. I was able to clear up a rumor that the only reason this girl wasn't invited was because of our past issues (it absolutely was not a factor, it had more to do with a potential conflict with her daughter and one of the other girls we had to reciprocate playdates with) - and to be able to say that with a clear heart felt good. I'm also happy that this girl and my daughter ARE friends - she's a special girl that I've had a fondness for ever since she was born.

So, while this experience may have caused concern for Mikayla - and yes, a few tears, it proved to me that while "drama" will always be part of life, sometimes time can do a lot to repair - and over the years - with a huge dose of God's grace and a little maturity, it does get easier to handle.

Introducing Yet Another Miracle

2012-02-01T12:47:00.000-08:00

Let me quickly point out, this is not a picture of our baby. No, I am not pregnant. However, our BFF's, Travis and Stephanie are....and I have been dying to share this news since finding out on Christmas night.

More to come soon in terms of details - because there are a whole lot to share....but for now I must pick up six fourth grade girls to take them all to see "Happy Feet 2". But, I wanted to at least post the picture and the announcement.....

Just "Bounce"

2012-01-27T20:12:00.000-08:00

This is an interesting weekend for us. Yesterday I drove up to Dallas to pick up Michele and Michael's kiddos as they were headed to a retreat with their church's high school group in Sunriver. With today being a "no school" day, it left for a day to occupy five kids by myself - without losing it or letting my house get absolutely trashed.

Earlier this week, Mikayla began a new once-a-week class at a gynmastics/trampoline warehouse with Christina and Erica. The facility is called "Bounce" and Mikayla enjoyed the experience so much that she "jumped' (ha ha!) at the chance to participate in an open gym today. At first, I figured the boys would prefer to go to a movie while the girls went there, but as it turned out, they opted to go with the girls once they found out I wouldn't be attending the movie with them (sweet, huh?....not too grown up yet!). As it turned out, all five of the kids, plus Amy's three kiddos, had a blast at the two hour open gym.

I actually have to say, though, despite all the fun, I did breathe a sigh of relief when the two hours were up that no injuries resulted for any of the 8 of them. WHEW!!!

After those two hours of watching THEM exercise, I'd worked up an appetite so I coerced them all to join me in giving "Five Guys" a try at a franchise that just opened up around the corner. Pretty much made myself sick gorging on the fries....but it was so good....

Tonight through tomorrow, John is at a leadership retreat so I'll still be flying solo in terms of keeping the kids entertained. Fortunately, not a lot is required by me these days in keeping these five occupied. Such a different story from when they were little....

In the Midst of Miraculous

2012-01-26T08:12:00.000-08:00

Gotta say, feeling a bit of the "blog slump" that is so prevalent in the winter months when rains pours down and nothing much of excitement occurs during the week. But, we ARE plugging along - and almost to February (Hallelujah!). If nothing else, all this rain means full reservoirs when we are boating in the summer, right? =)

It's been a while since I've updated on my neighbor, "Joy" - who lives across the street from us. When I wrote in this post, things were very dire for their family. It was questionable whether she would make it through Thanksgiving, with cancer rampant through her body, much less, Christmas.

Well, I'm thankful to report, she is still around!!! And....doing great! The other day, our doorbell rang, and it was her college-age daughter at the door, Shelby, who've we known exists, but have never really gotten to know. She came over to ask if, by chance, on Kenjon's next visit over, he might be willing to swing over to their house to give Joy a hug as she LOVES the Ducks. Done deal, he was supposed to stop by the next day and we'd make it happen. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to make a visit to us work, but it resulted in John stopping by and spending over an hour over there, sharing stories about his own sordid past, what Jesus has done through him, and hearing stories about what's going on in their lives.

In a nutshell, Joy is in the midst of chemotherapy, and by April could be done with her course. The doctors are BAFFLED by her recovery and improvements - it defies science why she is doing this well. However, the Groshongs (that's their last name) attribute her well-being to a visit by "Mrs. Claus" while Joy was in the hospital at the time around her first diagnosis. John asked about a particular picture of Joy dressed in a hospital gown next to a nurse, and they proceeded to explain why the picture is so important to them as it marked a turning point in Joy's life.

"Mrs. Claus" is a nurse in the oncology unit that came to get Joy out of bed one day. Joy was moving slowly, so this woman literally lifted Joy out of bed, and then held on to her in the fiercest hug Joy has ever experienced. She then whispered into Joy's ear, "God is going to heal you" - and what followed was 10 minutes of intercessory prayer by this woman....not just fluffy words, but prayer loaded with claimed scripture. It was unlike anything Joy or Butch had ever experienced.

And, the result - a miracle. John and I have been intentional as well in letting them know how we are praying for them, having our Bible Study, blog-friends, and church pray, and even giving them insight into scripture that would offer hope in such a frightening, bleak time. But, while praying for a miracle, sometimes you still find yourself shocked to see it transpire - yet, it has happened. And that family has no doubt as to Who is responsible.

The day after John stopped by, we got another ring on our doorbell, and Shelby, the daughter, showed up with these homemade cupcakes for John.....ahhhhh!

We are now Facebook friends with
her, and not only that, but on Monday, Heather discovered she also knows the family as she played soccer with Shelby growing up.

Sometimes the prospect of death brings nothing but misery and hopelessness. But, sometimes, in situations like this, the prospect of death brings people together that would have never united otherwise and exposes miracles that change a person's whole perspective on what true "joy" really is, and how it can be eternally found. I'm honored to be able to witness such a miracle....

HAPPY 43RD BIRTHDAY, MY LOVE!

2012-01-22T09:15:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY AMAZING, DREAM-COME-TRUE HUSBAND!

In celebration of his 43rd birthday, it was decided to have a repeat outing with the folks that showed us so much fun in December. For them, not only was it an opportunity to honor John, but it truly was a GRUDGE MATCH, particularly between Heather, Michael, and Kenjon as to who truly is the better bowler. It was meant to be a guys vs. girls match-up too, but let's face it - particularly in the first game, Kaela and I sucked....and did nothing to help our team out. It was Heather's individual match-up we were most inclined to see success come out of.

The teams both started out strong, though - when the lead-off bowlers of each team, Mikayla and Brayden, both threw strikes....nice foreshadowing of the great fun that would come out of this evening.

Heather was ON FIRE - it was strike after strike after spare...

A little attitude from Mikayla

It's good that Heather still loves us despite the fact that we let her down so monumentally. =)

Mikayla, talking "smack" to Kenjon...

Yes, these guys were the winners...

Which made us the "losers"...

Kenjon is trying to make it clear that Heather really did come in in second place...yes, despite such extraordinary effort, Kenjon topped her score.

Love these guys so much!

The wager between the teams was the team that lost had to bake cookies for the other team. With Michael and John's favorites being chocolate chip, and Kenjon's favorites being oatmeal raisin, we GRACIOUSLY made batches of both =)

As for John, his birthday "cake" was Marionberry pie, so yummy!

I love how focused the rest of the crew was while "singing". =)

Meet the human jungle gym for our kids!

No idea...

Still no idea...

Bring on Just Dance 3 - and with it - nonstop smiles and laughter. Unbelievable how entertaining and fun this activity is!!!!

We did prefer being spectators, but as you'll see below - we did get out on the "dance floor"

Clearly, whoever was dancing at this point, was very captivating to these guys...

At about 9pm, Mark McKay joined us - and jumped right into the mix.

This is what happens when Brayden talks "smack" to Kenjon... Mikayla may get away with it, but Brayden pushes it just a step too far - don't worry, he asked for it and was loving every minute of this wrestling match.

Truly an UNBELIEVABLE night of fun that lasted past midnight, thus honoring John's true birthday. I can't even express enough how much fun these guys are in our lives....all sorts of little details I can't even describe in the blog, but made for outrageous fun. Thank you, thank you, thank you - not only an honoring night for John, but the perfect remedy for January Blues!!!!!

HAPPY 45TH ANNIVERSARY, MOM AND DAD!

2012-01-20T06:53:00.000-08:00

This was originally posted in 2006, but given most of you weren't reading my blog at that time, I thought I'd repost it. SO PROUD OF MY PARENTS.....45 YEARS OF MARRIAGE TODAY!

"Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success." - Henry Ford

"Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward in the same direction." -Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Paul and Sherry's friendship began in the hallways of Thurston High School. They were good, casual friends- nothing more, nothing less.

Then, one August evening following their graduation, Paul was supposed to take Sherry's roommate out for a date. However, Sherry's roommate was busy with someone else (oops!), so Sherry got to fill in. They took a drive to Oakridge - and halfway through, Sherry threw up. One heck of a first date.

Somehow, the sparks ignited anyway, and they proceeded to date until November when Paul felt the sudden urge to return to his former love. Gena had called and lured Paul away from Sherry for an evening, ready to remind him of the future they were destined to share together. Before the evening came to a close, Paul realized what a terrible mistake he had made. He left Gena behind and drove all over town to find Sherry and beg her to take him back. Fortunately, she's a forgiving person.
(This is a picture of Paul and Gena at their senior prom. In a "twilight zone" of foreshadowing - Sherry is seen in the background looking on. Paul and Sherry were only casual friends at this point in time.)

Paul, being the incredibly patient man he is, waited a whole month before asking her to marry him, and then, never to rush, they gave it another month before actually getting married (and, no, she was not pregnant!). He was 19, she was 18 - and that was 39 years ago; January 20, 1967.

One Vietnam war that kept them apart, two children that drew them together, three parents that have passed away, four combined careers, five grandchildren that have kept them young - 45 years of joy, sorrow, triumph, and pain - and a love for each other deeper than any obstacle they have ever, and will ever, face.

We're so proud of you, Mom and Dad - CONGRATULATIONS & HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

In the Midst of a Monsoon

2012-01-19T06:46:00.000-08:00

Given we are "home of the Ducks" and do live in Oregon...where wetness is inevitable, you'd think we'd be used to pouring down rain.

Well, it is nothing new, but the sheer extent of it in the last 24 hours has been staggering. We're talking monsoon conditions, folks. And, wouldn't you know it, but I chose yesterday to do Christmas returns and run errands. The only bright aspect (besides a coffee date with a college friend, Lauren) was recognizing what a great choice it was six weeks ago to buy a really good rain jacket (the first I've had as an adult). Yup, put that baby to good use (especially when my umbrella flipped backwards and the wind put a tear in it).

We've had a very dry winter so far, so us Oregonians should be appreciating this. I'm very happy for the mountains to be piling up with snow - our snow pack is infinitesimal compared to normal at this point. The ski resorts need the business - and hey, selfishly, when we hit Central Oregon in early February, I'd really like to see snow there vs. our more recent visit's experience.

HOWEVER, this rain is forecast to be coming down for the next 5-7 days. And, being "day 2", we are already under major flood watches and alerts. This could be a problem. When I say "we" - I mean the state of Oregon - not necessarily where I live...we're in a safe spot. That is NOT the case for my parents, though. They live in an area that floods frequently when heavy rains come down. Every few years, we'll see the golf course that runs along the Mohawk River (about a half mile from their home), completely submerged in water - and running a current as its been consumed by the river. When we were little, we'd go out in the horse pasture during times such as these in a rubber raft and float in our own little lake.

In 1996, a couple of months before I got married, I literally got cut off from my parents house. I went to a school to take on a sub assignment and before the day was over, the water had cut off the route back home (I was living with Mom and Dad at the time). Fortunately, my grandparents lived in town, so it wasn't a huge deal - but that was the year that the rain was within a foot of invading their house, and the horses all had to be taken to higher ground. I googled pictures that would give you an idea....but I didn't find any good ones.

So, we'll have to see - the good news is that in contrast of years past, many of the major flooding happens when the snow pack melts in a hurry. Given we haven't had much of that and the rivers are only growing because of the rain, we might be physically okay. Emotionally, though - I'm not sure how my Seasonal Affective Disorder will emerge from 7 days in a row of this kind of gray deluge...

Snow Wound Up

2012-01-16T19:58:00.000-08:00

I'm just going to put it out there, I have this thing about snow...it just winds me up. I LOVE it! Watching the ugliest of conditions blanketed in crystal white evokes feelings of just how anything can be transformed into beauty.

I love it when the flakes come down as big as cotton balls, and you feel like you are in a snow globe. I love watching the kids play in it - and Sydney DELIGHT in it. For me, the only problem with snow is the inevitable....watching it go away. Turning into slush, creating mud, snowflakes into rainfall...that is not fun.

In that same vein, the other issue I have is NOT getting the snow in the first place. If snow is in the forecast, more often that not, Portland, Dallas, or even my parent's house will get it, while our little ol' home in Eugene will NOT. GRRRR! Honestly, I work myself into the worst-est of moods over this little weather occurrence, it's downright embarrassing.

Therefore, it was a very good decision to have us spend the latter half of the three day weekend at Michele's - as sure enough, her little town of Dallas had some of the best snow in the whole Willamette valley. I was tickled that it stuck around until my kiddos arrived in the afternoon on Sunday - as it had accumulated quite a bit for Michele's kids in the morning (pics of her kids in the morning below mine).

Leaving Michele's winter wonderland and driving back to the rain 80 minutes to the south to our house was not pleasant, though. I was in the worst mood driving, watching the white evaporate and temperature increase with each mile we traveled.

Tonight, we are supposed to get more snow, though its highly unlikely it will amount to much. I think a school delay may happen given the temps are supposed to be below freezing in the morning which could make commuting a mess, but I can't imagine school being canceled. In Michele's town of Dallas, though - whatya bet they get the day off.

It just goes to show just how much out of whack my "happiness gauge" is at any given time. I'm so thankful that JOY THAT LASTS goes way beyond the lifespan of a snowflake.

Family Bonding in Beaverton

2012-01-14T19:41:00.000-08:00

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!

And This Is Why I Cringe When I'm Called "Religious"

2012-01-12T06:54:00.000-08:00

"My Fair Lady" with Mom and Dad

2012-01-09T07:57:00.000-08:00

Well, just to lay it out there, I'm about as successful of a blogger right now as I am in every other area of life. It's not that I don't want to, or that there aren't things I could be saying, it's just that I'm not getting around to it.

Lethargy, apathy, laziness, introvert, sluggishness....these seem to be the key words of 2012 so far. I'm telling you, it's not pretty. But, it is my "norm" for this time of year, so I'm just not letting it stress me out.

I did manage to get dressed up and out of the house for an Alexander family adventure. Mom and Dad ended up with two additional seats to fill for the play, "My Fair Lady" and asked Michele and I if we'd like to accompany them. So, Michele and the girls came down Saturday and with the kindness of John keeping an eye on all that estrogen (Christina was over too) - we had an "original Alexander family outing" to PF Changs and then on to the Hult Center.

The performance was very good - it makes me want to watch the Audrey Hepburn movie to see how it differed. However, us gals all agreed that the male lead who played "Professor Higgins" wasn't attractive enough - or didn't possess enough "Alpha Chemistry" to make the storyline believable. (Not to say the plot is believable enough to begin with, but you know what I mean).

Thanks Mom and Dad - it was a very special night out with you!

As for yesterday - after taking WAY TOO LONG to get going, I FINALLY cleared out all evidence of Christmas in our home. Our garage....oh baby, that's a different story altogether. Mikayla's room has been in the process of updating from a room full of Polly Pockets and Littlest Pet Shop to a room with a desk and sewing machine....sigh - she's growing up. =( That occupied John all weekend while I did the decor rehaul. I've still get plenty to "spruce up", but at least the house looks like it is ready for 2012 instead of hanging on to the memories of 2011.

I'll close this off as I'm currently in the act of negotiation with my son as to whether or not he's sick enough to stay home today. The verdict is still undecided.

Little Victories

2012-01-04T19:01:00.000-08:00

In light of the HUGE victory achieved by the Ducks, it's hard to feel personally successful in my lack of motivation here at home. I'm officially "giving myself a break" this week by ebbing back into reality at my pace, not based on any huge deadline. What freedom this is - though the other side of me that sees so many loose ends needing to be tied up is struggling with the level of chaos around here.

So, here's to little victories - and this week, those would include:

Getting the "wrong" video game returned to Target this week, originally purchased on Black Friday. (However, I earned minus points by picking up clearance slippers for Brayden for next year, that are actually smaller than the ones he's currently wearing.....oops!)
Sending back the two "return" orders to Overstock.com and Altrec.com that required a trip to the post office. Filling out the forms, finding the addresses and determining how to send it all is a bit overwhelming to me. But, I conquered....and in the nick of time as the line was into double digits by the time I left this morning.
Having groceries in the house - with lunches prepared for kids and dinner prepared for the family....
Getting the bonus room tree down, with all of the ornaments carefully stored and tree hoisted outside.
Getting into the gym today. First Group Power workout of the year - and in the last several weeks. Boy oh boy am I going to be sore tomorrow. But, yes, that 8 pound weight gain needs to be addressed somehow....(don't gasp too much, I'm still quite a bit lower from where I was at in September which just goes to show how much damage ALL SUMMER did to me compared to a few weeks in December!)
Our bedroom is (well, was this morning) clean - with all of our laundry done and put away...the kids' rooms - that's another story
A leisurely trip to the mall to cash in some gift certificates Mikayla had for Justice and Claires (thanks Riley girls and Annabel!) - including the fine company of Kaela
Reading my devotional each day

So- there you go. There's a good chance that the house will still be decorated for Christmas when the Thursday Night Ladies show up tomorrow night. There's a good chance the tree will still be lit and the kids' bedrooms not cleaned. But, if it means I'm still holding on to my sanity and not completely overwhelmed...then so be it. Because, that is the gift this time of year brings....time....quite a bit of it, at least in comparison to the wonderful craziness June through December is to our family. SO, I'm going to take that gift and treasure it.....

Rose Bowl Champions!

2012-01-02T18:58:00.000-08:00

It's the third year in a row that the Ducks have gotten into a BCS Bowl Game. Two years ago, it was the Rose Bowl, last year it was the National Championship. Both ended in losses, quite the let-down after otherwise spectacular seasons.

This year, the hope was that the end result would be different. While some Duck fans were still pouting over not having our team make it to the National, our family was indeed proud of the Rose Bowl achievement. Moreover, because of our connection with Kenjon, we've been invested personally with how the team has done.

It was because of this that John asked my permission to take himself and Brayden to the Rose Bowl. Yes, it was coming right off of a previous week's vacation. Yes, it was expensive. Yes, they would fly down and fly back up all in the same day. But, YES, we all agreed it was worth it. Worth it for John and Brayden to experience together, and worth it for them to be down in Pasadena to root Kenjon on.

Any "vacation" linked to a game's outcome has always seemed like a risky adventure. Would it be remembered as "worth it" if the outcome was a loss? That's why John and I have never considered it for our family. But, I felt pretty good that in this case the whole "adventure" for my dynamic duo would outweigh any game outcome. I think that assumption would have been correct, but fortunately we have no need to know - because, as it turns out....

THE DUCKS WERE VICTORIOUS....2012 ROSE BOWL CHAMPIONS!!!

It was the icing on the cake for the guys. They started their journey by leaving our home last night at around 4:30 (we only got home from Sunriver at about 1:30) - and then drove up to spend the night in Portland. Since it was necessary that they be at the Portland Airport at 4am, they decided to cash in some Hilton points for a night's stay up north (and that also meant a trip to Buffalo Wildwings which Brayden very much wanted to eat at).

They arrived in Pasadena just as planned, got dropped off at the Rose Bowl, met up with Heather Spinney and her brother who were seated next to them - and the next four hours were history as the Ducks put on quite a show. They witnessed Kenjon making a spectacular catch and run into the endzone for one of the first half touchdowns. (He also contributed to significant rushing yards and first downs) It was 82 degrees at kick-off under a brilliant blue sky....quite the contrast to our 42 degrees here in Eugene.

They are probably already loaded in the plane to return north. John thinks the plane lands in Portland at 11:30 tonight - and then they'll still need to drive the two hours home. I told John to just "text me" as I don't intend to stay awake - and I also told Brayden that his very important job on the way home is to keep Daddy alert and talking....

Fortunately, the Eugene School District does not resume classes until Wednesday. Can I hear a Hallelujah? John will be headed to work bright and early tomorrow, but I'm hopeful Brayden sleeps in until noon.

Even if they are both groggy all day - or even for the rest of the week, I know they will have considered the experience SO WORTH IT! I joked with Brayden on the phone a few moments ago and asked him what it felt like to start the year on such a "high" - knowing there's no direction to go from here but down. He laughed, and we can all hope that this great beginning to 2012 is just the start of what joys the year has to offer!

Pictures courtesy of Associated Press and John's cell phone =)

Wow, That's the Way to Kick off 2012

2012-01-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

If you find yourself surfing the internet and happen onto "Pac12.org" this is the story you will find headlining the website. We have known about this potential article for a while as we had an enchanting evening with the author - Jackson, along with Kenjon the week following Thanksgiving. We felt a lot of integrity from Jackson, but you just never know how an article is going to turn out. After reading it, we couldn't be happier...

BARNER'S EXTENDED FAMILY IN EUGENE

By Jackson Long

After the action has come to a close on Saturdays, the press conferences are over, the words from the coaches have been spoken and game day is over with, many college football players head to their locker and check their cell phones. Their phones are filled with a litany of emails, voicemails, text messages, Facebook comments or even news stories about them. Oregon Ducks junior running back Kenjon Barner is used to the large number of electronic notes waiting for him after every game. They come from family, friends, former Oregon student-athletes, respected coaches and analysts, even people he doesn’t know. But there is only one text message that consistently makes an impact. It is the same words, after every game, from a 12-year-old boy.

The message asks the question: “Did you play every down like it was your last?”

---

John and Stephanie Riley are both from Eugene. The couple has been together for 15 years and has been Oregon football season ticket holders since 1997. They have two children, Mikayla (nine) and Brayden (12). The Rileys love football, family and their faith.

In the spring of 2011, John and Stephanie were introduced to Barner through a family friend at a meeting of the Collegiate Christian Fellowship in Eugene. John approached Barner and after a casual conversation, asked if he had anyone in the area that was looking out for him, helping him make good decisions or was there to help guide him. When Barner replied no, John asked if the two of them could get to know each other better over dinner sometime.

“At that dinner I told him that I had no agenda and I wasn’t there to meet him as a football player,” said John. “My goal is simply making sure that you are accounted for.”

John saw something in Barner that he believed to be special.

“For me it really clicked when I asked Kenjon what his relationship with his family was like. He said, ‘I love my family’ and when I went to move on, he interrupted me and said, ‘No, you need to understand. I am in love with my family.’ I had never heard anybody say it that way in my life and I was really caught up in that and I thought, ‘Wow, this guy is something special and really someone to invest in.’”

Kenjon believed, too, that having a family outlet in Eugene would be something that could benefit him and the two agreed to begin meeting on a weekly basis.

Through his relationship with John, Barner met the rest of the Riley clan and has since become an equal part in their family.

“We trust Kenjon with our lives,” said John. “Kenjon’s character is one that is far greater than most 22-year-olds have. He is just a blast to be with.”

The Eugene-based Riley family is simply an extension of Kenjon's already big family. His parents, Gary and Wilhelmenia Barner, have seven children – six boys and one girl, of which Kenjon is the youngest.

“I love my family so much,” said Kenjon. “My parents are so great and when I am here in Eugene, the Rileys are a great stand-in.”

---

With Barner joining the Rileys, he became the second football player in the family. 12-year-old Brayden plays middle school football in Eugene and since Barner met Brayden, he attends all of his younger “brother’s” games.

Before every one of Brayden’s games, John gives his son something to think about before he takes the field. Before Brayden’s final home game last year, he was asked by his father to do something. To play every down as if it were his last.

After the game, as Barner and Brayden walked towards the parking lot, Barner was called over by former Oregon running back and NFL player Dino Philyaw.

Philyaw and Barner spoke face-to-face for ten minutes while Brayden stood by Barner’s side intently listening to the advice the former Oregon tailback bestowed to the current one. Philyaw closed by telling Barner to play every down as if it was his last.

“I looked over at Brayden and he was looking at Kenjon, in awe that a former NFL pro was telling this current Oregon star, his friend, the same thing his dad had just told him,” said John Riley.

To celebrate Brayden’s great game, the Rileys and Barner decided to go out for ice cream. Barner and Brayden rode together in Barner’s car and discussed the exchange of advice that had just occurred.

“I asked Brayden if he had played that game like it was his last,” said Barner. “He said that he didn’t, so I said we should make a pact. I said, ‘After every one of your games I will ask you if you gave it all you had, and you do the same for me.’ Now after every one of our games we talk and hold each other accountable.”

Playing like you may never play again has special relevance to Barner, especially since a game against Washington State in October of 2010. Barner was the recipient of a brutal hit on a kickoff return that resulted in him being taken from the field in an ambulance. He was diagnosed with a concussion and even thought about giving up football because of the danger.

After missing three games, in his first game back in front of a home crowd at Autzen Stadium, Barner scored his first touchdown in over two months.

---

Barner and Brayden play in different leagues, one in the Pac-12 and the other in the under-12. Barner weighs in at 195 pounds and stands 5-foot-11, while Brayden is 82 pounds and 4-foot-9. Despite the disparities, the two had a chance to play on the same field recently, even the same team, at the Riley’s Thanksgiving Turkey Bowl. Barner was the signal-caller for the kid’s team, while the adults were quarterbacked by Kenjon’s brother Martel (who surprised Kenjon from out-of-state on Thanksgiving). On the game’s final play, Barner and Brayden connected for the game-winning touchdown.

“He is like a brother to me,” said Brayden of Barner. “I don’t have an older brother and he is there for me,” said Brayden.

“Brayden’s love language is time spent with someone and that speaks much more than any advice given, it is simply that Kenjon values time spent with Brayden,” said Stephanie, Brayden’s mother. “There is no other reason for (Barner) to be here other than to just be in our house and it is astounding to us.”

---

Barner and the Rileys now meet once or twice a week, for dinner, movie nights, and other family outings, while the Rileys attend all of Kenjon’s home games and other Ducks’ events.

In observing Barner and the Rileys together, it is plain to see that the fit is natural and both parties learn from and enjoy each other. The only argument they may have is who benefits more from the other’s company.

“The thing about our relationship with Kenjon is that I don’t think he could get more out of it than what our family does from him,” said John. “We think the world of him. When I lead him through scriptures or guide him with principles, the way he soaks it up, asks questions and applies it soon after, is amazing. It may be seen that I am mentoring him, but it is a two-way thing."

Barner acknowledged that he has something to contribute to his pseudo-family but believes he is the bigger beneficiary in the relationship.

“I feel like I get more. There are many reasons, but I don’t have any family up here and to have a family like this to take me in, it makes me feel good,” said Barner. “I have always wanted a little brother and I have that now in Brayden and Mikayla and I get to play with them and talk to John and Steph. It is special and I feel at home.”

What Barner learns in his dealing with John, Stephanie, Brayden and Mikayla benefits him not only in his daily and spiritual life but on the football field as well.

“I become a better man because of them,” said Barner. “And the relationship benefits me in my spirituality and my relationship with God and others. It also helps me be a leader for the team.”

Barner isn’t the most vocal or extroverted player for the Ducks, but as a veteran for the squad and a key contributor in many roles on the field, he, by default, adopts a leadership position.

John recognized this and asked Barner if he was prepared for that role.

“I once said to Kenjon that ‘God has called you to be a leader. How good of a leader will you be?’ In a second he said ‘I’m going to be a great leader.’”

Immediately following every Oregon game, Barner can be seen on one knee with many Oregon players and coaches, leading the group in prayer.

“It is something that some people asked me to do and I am happy to do it,” Barner said.

There is no questioning that Barner is something exceptional on the field.

“I feel like Kenjon could start at any other school in the nation, and is right up there as one of the best backs in the country,” said head coach Chip Kelly.

In the past three years no other player, aside from star running back LaMichael James, has scored more points for the Ducks, as Barner has accounted for 26 touchdowns in his reserve role.

But Kenjon Barner goes far beyond the accolades and stats that surround him as a college football player.

In speaking with his teammates, his coaches, people all around the University of Oregon, it is tough to find someone who has something negative to say about Barner.

He is a player who never turns down an autograph, accepts almost all appearance requests, attends local high school football games, and is plainly a nice guy.

“You look at Kenjon and he is a strong football player, but he has a different side. He is very caring, very loving,” said James of his fellow tailback.

“We are proud of the man he is and the character he has,” said John. “We are proud parents.”

Not Exactly a Winter Wonderland...

2011-12-30T14:37:00.001-08:00

...but we've been having a delightful time despite that.

A little bit of a picture parade of how we've been keeping ourselves busy amidst the onslaught of rain pouring down.

Some bbq'ing steak inside the garage....(John did an excellent job, it was delicious!)

I'm not sure why I caught Traig looking like he'd just sucked a lemon, but Nati and Brayden are partners in crime in the midst of playing their new "Disney Universe" on PS3

Sydney looks like she's clutching the blanket as if it were her stuffed animal...so cozy!

Poor Baxter - the indignity of it! But, he's so obedient to keep that treat on his nose until Michael says, "OK" - it's so impressive!

A little Daddy/Daugther snuggling - taking place on the morning of Mikayla's 10th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART! Can't believe you are a decade old...

The breakfast of choice for Mikayla's birthday breakfast was Dutch Babies and Orange Shakes...here's her cousins appreciating her choice of beverage.

Mikayla asked to open her presents before we took off to go bowling-

Mikayla was delighted by the manicure/pedicure sets bestowed on her by Travis and Stephie. In fact, she sweetly asked if I would indulge her in a pedicure later in the evening. It wasn't up to "Bello" standards, but her toenails do look pretty great!

Speaking of Bello, a Blueberry Candle from there that she smelled and loved when we were last there together.

And, finally, "Kanani" the American Girl doll she has been asking for all year. This will probably be the last AG doll she'll ask for...so we're savoring her current appreciation of Kanani.

The location may have changed (Lava Lanes this year), but the tradition remains to go bowling on Mikayla's birthday. Between our trip with Heather, Kaela, Kenjon, and Michael - and then Courtney and Ryan, and now - our kids are getting quite a bit of practice at bowling. In fact Mikayla was delighted at throwing a strike without the use of bumpers. =)

We were eager to have the kids keep their hands clean when they had the pizza and snacks amidst their bowling turns. (Kind of icky to consider the germ-potential within each of those shared bowling balls) That is why Mikayla is feeding John the Skittles.

The boys played in one lane while we played in the other. In the second game, John started having fun with some spin throws that Travis taught him - it was a hoot watching him "go for it" with such powerful throws.

A simultaneous throw with Michael in one lane and Nati in the other.

When we returned the kids convened in our bedroom to participate in some "Kids Just Dance 2" =)

After some play in the hot tub, hence the wet hair, Mikayla blew her candles out of her specially requested "Pizza Kuchen". It's actually "Peach Kuchen" - kind of a cobbler of sorts, but the name that she used when she was little has always stuck with us.

Finally, a picture taken today. Yes, look at that, it is SNOW! It started out as rain this morning (which really takes a toll on the morning hot tub reading) - but is now completely white and still coming down. YIPPEEE!!!!!! We'll take whatever we can get!

We've Arrived

2011-12-27T16:48:00.000-08:00

We're here. In balmy 41 degree, rainy Sunriver. It's a good thing I'd set my expectations accordingly, as it ain't pretty here - and the next two days (at least) promise to be even warmer and wetter. As evidenced by the pics at the bottom of the post - this morning did bring some snowfall. I woke up at 5am to see the white stuff coming down, and even in our blissful hot-tub-reading time, our hair was dotted with snowflakes. So, I guess you could say, no matter what happens from here, we didn't get completely skunked weather-wise (but, I'm still holding out a little bit of optimism for some potential snow on Friday or Saturday....)

All is not lost, of course, as it's the time to simply vacation and relax that we most anticipate. Good company, lots of food, and for us ladies, great reading material (for the guys, football and "Auction Hunters" or "Storage Wars" seems to be the choice for the day). Last night, we had another round of Christmas exchanges, largely with the Whites doing the giving to the kids, but with a few "just for fun" presents thrown in.

Because of a Kohl's Black Friday deal we just couldn't ignore, all the kids got flashlights. Those come in handy in a big house like this, and of course during overnight camps at Harlow and other out-in-the-future summer activities.

I'm not going to go into detail about this present - it's found in Solutions Magazine if you are really curious. Let's just say that John did not find the humor in his gift that the rest of us did.

In honor of his constant pleading to get us out snow-shoeing (and no, I don't think this year will be the golden year either) - a special ornament.

Ellie and the "Spy Gear" she had put on her list for Santa.

This was the game Traig most wanted to get. He's been a very happy camper since opening it.

And did I mention that Sunriver is the place we go to to relax? Yes, that's definitely happening!

That elusive snow...

A hearty breakfast of Diet Coke and chocolate mini-doughnuts. We didn't want to waste any of our first morning of reading/tubbing to make a big breakfast.

The kids - unfazed for now by the lack of snow - happily at play this afternoon.

I think because of Christmas Eve/Day being so exemplary this year, I find myself kind of lacking in the usual "we're here" bliss. I think there's a little grieving of the loss of my favorite time of year and obviously the whole mountain-top emotional high can only last so long. But, there's sure no reason for anything but joy around here -

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2011-12-25T20:14:00.000-08:00

..."and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse"
That's sure what it felt like this morning at 5am, as this picture was taken by John. As a Christian, I hesitate to use the word "magical" without it being misinterpreted, so please don't read in to my meaning here. For our family, this day is truly magical in its moments of anticipation, hopefulness, and general spirit of thankfulness. It is the great pinnacle of over 8 weeks of preparation - and while I know many would disagree....I think we (our family) would all be fine to add at least another month of all of this festivity - the lights, the constant music on Pandora, the constant holiday movies on Hallmark, and certainly for the kids - the Countdown Calendar of new surprises each day. While I may end up in the hospital from over-exertion if another four weeks were thrown into the mix, I'm quite sure I'd still consider it worth it. I LOVE this time of year, which is all the more reason I'm ever-so-thankful that years ago we opted to take our week in Sunriver AFTER Christmas - to extend it - vs. the week prior which led to an even greater let-down when the evening of the 25th fell upon us.

So, with all that being said - and with 38 previous Christmases under my belt, I'm going to go out on a ledge and say that this Christmas day has proven to be my favorite so far. It was as close to perfect as we could ask for.

In what could only be considered a Christmas Eve Miracle, BOTH of our kids were totally asleep by 7:30 last night. Can you believe that???? Mikayla is one story, but Brayden - unbelievable! That led to us heading to bed too, and let's just say that when this mama gets her full amount of sleep needed, it leads to a happy girl the next day. It was an 8pm bedtime for me, so by the time 5:30 rolled around, I was ITCHING to get up and get going - and have the opportunity to basque in the Christmas morning "magic" with John before the kids would all too soon be awake. (I'm talking "G" rating time spent together....don't read into that either!)

Some stocking stuffers set out on the couch....we aren't exactly "by the book" in stuffing things actually into our stocking....

It only took about a half hour of us being awake before the kids joined us. On Christmas Eve nights, we have a tradition of having everyone sleep in our room so that they can come out together and see what's been left by "Santa" together. (I think I already wrote a blog post establishing that we no longer have to worry about keeping that secret....and oh what fun it was to have that off the table and instead have the appreciation be aimed at family members instead of Kris Kringle....)

So, at the point this was taken - we were just messing with the kids. I think you can actually see our reflections, me with my point & click taking video, and John with the big camera.

Finally, the kiddos were let loose....

Mikayla, going for the "Home Alone" expression of awe.... =)

Having the "elves" distribute the presents...

My goodness, we are so loving the sibling harmony today - this was a joint high-five for picking out good gifts for each other.

From Brayden, specially chosen stuffed animals... (Mikayla got Brayden a "Chuckle Buddy" - might have to take video of this guy....words don't do him justice).

A non-posed shot of me looking at Sydney. I really, really love her - even when she won't sit still and feels the need to prowl through all the presents to find a place to bury her new bone.

I found these at about 5am on Black Friday. They are little stuffed animal pals meant to hold i-pods or cell phones. I thought they were adorable - apparently the kids agreed.

A jewelry box for Mikayla along with a monogrammed necklace.

A KINDLE! No way did I see that one coming....(as in hypothetically purchasing it for myself and Michele two months ago....)

It's wonderful that our family keeps the "Madden" franchise popular by buying the new release each year for our son...

For John, a homemade "caddy" for spare change and keys molded and painted by Mikayla (along with a new camera remote)

Mikayla's "piece de resistance" present - a new camera. She's been asking for this for a long time...

The I-pod was Brayden's big present - but these came in a very close second!

John's favorite gift was a new wedding ring. When we picked his out nearly 16 years ago, we went with gold - but that isn't John's style at all these days. Neither one of us are especially attached to the sentimentality of our rings, so it was a no-brainer when he suggested and picked out this one for a potential Christmas present.

Alright, I'm not going to make the direct comparison myself - but when Brayden flicks his hair to one side like this....do you see any similarities to a certain celebrity? =)

Because of our early start, the pace in which we were able to mosey through breakfast and packing up for Mom and Dad's was downright leisurely. Carmel rolls, a traditional "What memory are you most thankful for in 2011 and what do you believe God would like to see you work on in 2012?" family question exchange, and stop off at Dutch Bros for my Mom's Christmas latte were among the things that took place before getting out to Mom and Dad's at around 11.

I think I've hinted at this in previous posts, but 2011 has been the year of technology acquisition for Dad. His Kindle, his Facebook account, his Droid - those have all been one thing, but now, his addiction to "Angry Birds"?! One word...awesome! I LOVE it...and honestly, I'm just holding my breath for him to be introduced to PS2's "Sly Cooper". He's going to love it, he just doesn't quite know it yet.
Traig loves it too....he's trying to beat Grandpa's high score.

Meanwhile, this is where you'd find John - teaching Mikayla how to sew on her "second favorite" present. So precious....by the time we sat down for dinner, they'd completed a pillow together. =)

Ellie was spending some of her free time drawing.

And this is where you'll always find us moms pre-dinner...in the kitchen.

A Christmas theme for the dining room table.

Because he was put on ham-carving duty, John didn't have time to set up the camera for a timer-shot to include us all. So, just pretend he's there, sitting next to me on the left side. =)

We intentionally plan for present opening to happen AFTER dinner (aka late lunch) so that we can all get cozy again and there's no rush to accommodate a meal. It is a KILLER for the kids who have slightly less patience and self-control than us adults.

Finally, we all got our act together and let the kids loose to distribute presents. While they were busy doing that, Dad pulled Michele and I over to communicate how he had inadvertently switched the cards he had written for us both - but that it didn't really matter as he is so proud of each of us and our families and all the sentiments apply to both. It was VERY sweet....how we love our Daddy!

When I saw this oversized bag at Target, I couldn't resist getting it for Michael, even though I had nothing that size to put it in. So, I decided to instead give it to him pre-opening, so that he'd have a place to put all of his presents in. I think this picture makes it clear why the bag was so ideal for him!

It may have tanked in the box office, but it was still a favorite movie to Brayden and I!

Just wait....very soon I might be writing a post about having all of my neck/headache issues miraculously resolved because of this pillow from Mom. I have high hopes!

Another special present from Mom and Dad. They are bracelets that say "I love you more". I couldn't help myself after opening it to tell Michele that mine said, "I love you most"....the competition between twins never takes a holiday!

Mom, opening some boots (which she not-so-long ago bought for herself....oops!)....she says she likes these enough to want them too, though.

A SNUGGIE for ELLIE!! Woo hoo!

Nati's version is a little more sophisticated.

In true twin fashion, Michele bought me some pj pants that I had previously purchased....(proving how similar our taste truly is) - but the coordinating yellow sweatshirt was a huge hit!

A chocolate covered fruit tray for Dad....John was very jealous and made it clear that could definitely be added to his list for Christmas 2012.

Does this look familiar? =)
Baxter was so cuddly...it must have been his sweet gift to us on Christmas day.

Finally, a couple of pics of Mom and Dad with opposing focal points of Mackie. These were taken shortly before we left, while we were all watching Michael get sucked in to "Angry Birds". "Just one more level!" =)

Sigh.....post Christmas is always a let-down - but this is one of those amazing years where I feel like it went so successfully, that I'm content to let it go, at least with the knowledge that it's kind of continuing as we set forth to Sunriver tomorrow. I'm sure this will be addressed with much frequency in the upcoming posts, but the weather forecast does NOT look promising.....rain vs. snow. NOT GOOD. But, we will keep our optimism high that the reality will look whiter than forecast. In the meantime, I'm savoring the glory of today - all being celebrated because of the greatest gift given to us all over 2000 years ago.

Merry Christmas Eve!

2011-12-24T18:14:00.000-08:00

While it was deeply contested by the rest of the family who wanted to skip ahead to opening the presents from the Whites, it IS a Christmas tradition to take a family photo on Christmas Eve in front of the fireplace with Syd. We have the one that turned out decent of all of us:
And then, the one in which even Sydney is getting bored of posing and ready to move on:
Usually, we exchange presents with the Whites while in Sunriver (they give our kids a few Christmas Eve presents, but generally the majority of the exchange is on vacation), however, when we decided to give this to the Whites, we opted not to pack it to and from Sunriver. Go Mariners!

The kids also chose to give gifts to the Whites tonight. From Brayden to Stephie, a stuffed "Pluto" - the only character in costume Stephie is not afraid of. =) (Not pictured, Mikayla gave Stephie the most recent Kim Meeder book, the author who is coming to speak at our Womens' Ministry Retreat in February).

From Brayden to Travis - an X-Box game that Travis has enjoyed playing on our PS3 version. From Mikayla to Travis - a neck massager, as Travis suffers from similar tension headaches as myself.

A gift from the Whites to Mikayla - a DS game that Mikayla loved, but lost a long time ago...

Mikayla is now very much into organization. (Love it!) For Christmas, she asked for binders and office desk holders/caddies which the Whites got for her. She loved them. I then told them all about Mikayla's response to seeing "The Container Store" at Bridgeport Mall the other day....this was how she imitated it, picture a high pitched "ahhhhhhhh" to go with it....

The one present she got to open from us tonight contained these VERY fuzzy slippers.
A highlight for Brayden was opening NCAA 12....

Earlier this morning, we chose to go see "We Bought a Zoo" at the movie theater. It was great to get out of the house (where I constantly feel like I still have more to do) and do this as a family. I'm not sure if it was because it is Christmas Eve and I was feeling incredibly sentimental and thankful for my life and family, but I had tears running out of my eyes for several minutes following the credits. The movie was absolutely exceptional, particularly in the realm of character development. And the little actress that plays "Rosie"....oh my goodness, she is SO CUTE!!! It was the perfect movie to go see as a family on Christmas Eve.

Following that, we went to church with the Whites and Mom and Dad - and then pizza and to the present moment here at our home.

I hope that wherever you are, and whatever life has brought to you this year, that tomorrow brings a ray of hope in the knowledge of the gift of Jesus being born for us all. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Winter Bucket List

2011-12-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

I've spent the last 36 hours or so hanging out at Michele's house. I've reached my limit on what can be "listed, organized, and prepared from afar" and am to the point of itching to hop in my car to start crossing those things off of my list at my home. However, the kids are still sleeping (which I've also done a lot of while I've been here....apparently, I needed it) so this down time has led to blog surfing and eventually Pinterest. I saw this and thought I ought to share:

So, I'm actually doing pretty good with this list - or at least I will be by the time we reach 2012. A few things that won't get crossed off...."Horse Drawn Carriage Ride" (does playing flag football in a horse arena work?), "Make Fireplace S'mores" (let's face it folks, I made enough s'mores this summer to last all year long - and next year too!), and "Shuck Oysters"....(huh?!!!)

Any additional items you'd add to the "Winter Bucket List"?

Marvelous Monday

2011-12-19T19:51:00.000-08:00

I had the kids open their Countdown Calendar activity a little early for Monday....as in Sunday night. Given the activity required a little travel and staying at Michele's until Wednesday, I frankly needed their help in preparing and packing.

So, after returning from watching "Arthur Christmas" (Sunday's activity - and yes, Jodi, I'm in agreement with you, definitely not a holiday favorite - but not deplorable either....), they opened the card that said:

"Courtney + Dutch Babies + Julie + Portland Zoo + Ending up at Michele's = A Super Fun Monday!"

Kaela showed up a few minutes before Courtney, which was perfect as she had given Mikayla a birthday present and I had told Mikayla that she was allowed to open it only if Kaela said "yes". Of course, Kaela agreed and Mikayla was delighted. Kaela had wanted to see Courtney and give me something to pass on to Julie - unfortunately she had a staff meeting she had to attend that had her leaving just before the Dutch Babies were ready to pull out of the oven....but, not before we got a lovely picture of the three of us reunited.

I love how much the kids love these folks just as much as we do. (Or almost....)

After an all-too-brief time with Courtney (it was nearly 3 hours, but our time together never seems long enough as I enjoy her company SO MUCH!) the kids and I hopped in the car and headed north to meet up with Julie. She had flown in from Oahu the night before and was setting aside her afternoon to hang with us.

We met up at Bridgeport Village - which is, I've decided, a wonderful place to shop and stroll. The mall is all outside, which in Oregon can be an issue, but it is very high class and might I say, romantic in its set-up. I told the kids we'd be returning some time in 2012 to shop as a family...kind of an untapped treasure for us.

This Christmas tree at the center demonstrates the mall's classiness.

As we ventured forth to find Julie at the Apple Store, we passed a PF Chang's - and thus decided that would be the location to satisfy our need for lunch. As usual, the food was great and a big hit for my kids (yes, they are picky eaters) - but, our server was so awkward! She was abrupt, inefficient, and forgetful. It was one of the scenarios where you had to wonder why she pursued being a server as a job, as it really seemed like she didn't like people. But, for Julie and I, it was merely a source of humor and fun to kick off our time together.

The next stop was the zoo. We assumed correctly, that at the time we were going, it would be relatively empty. They have an evening attraction called "Zoo Lights" that brings in a lot of people these days, but we didn't plan on being in Portland that late, so our ambition was to visit the animals - not see the lights.

As you can see by this picture, there were a lot of lights already turned on, though - which was a bonus for us.... =)

There was also the bonus of "Elephant Ears" (and in case you're noticing, no, it wasn't a stellar calorie day for me!).

One thing that I would have never noticed, but Julie makes fun of herself is her long arm length. So, when we saw this sign, we couldn't resist taking a picture to prove just how long they are.
Is this pose with my kids becoming a trend, or what?

We did hit a little Portland rush hour traffic on our way out, proving once again how I'd never make it in a big city. But, fortunately, it was pretty easy getting back to Bridgeport and heading on back to Dallas with minimal traffic issues. We arrived at Michele's at 6, and I'm now cozily perched atop her bed, so happy to be here until we all leave for our house on Wednesday. Michele is wrapping presents while I'm typing away. Soon I will move on to the stack of magazines that have arrived in the last 6 weeks that I haven't had a spare moment to look at - noting that their Christmas themes and ideas are a little ineffective if read about in January.

So goes our "Marvelous Monday". Two women that I feel such a tight bond with - both of them ladies that I am sad no longer live near by. But, the beauty with both of them is how time and distance are never an obstacle - conversation picks up as if we'd seen each other yesterday.

Now, on to those magazines....or maybe bed....I'm getting very sleepy after such an eventful day.

Feeling the Love!

2011-12-18T07:26:00.000-08:00

Last night was the first night in Riley Family history that the "Countdown Calendar" activity was a surprise to even us. It was fun having the kids open the activity card and to say "we don't know....Heather Spinney is in charge and all she told us was to be ready at 5:30 - and to not have eaten anything for dinner." (She also suggested we dress comfy in jeans or so when I texted about that....so glad I didn't stay in pajamas!!). It was SO FUN for the whole family to be in anticipation for an upcoming "surprise". Even for me, as a person who isn't keen on surprises (the expectation of the right response stresses me out....not to mention I like control....) - was excited about the evening as I trust Heather to know me and my family well enough that it would be very special and nothing I'd be uncomfortable with.

So now I'm going to jump to the narration of Kaela who wrote a blog post about the experience from her point of view to give a set-up of what the plan really was.....

TONIGHT though....was the BIG night. So a few weeks ago, Heather came up with an amazing idea to have a night devoted to the Riley's to give back to them all that they have blessed us with. I'm just going to give ALL credit to Heather and wish I could have thought up of such a plan. She thought it would be great if their closest mentees would put together something for them. Since her and I both have spent a lot of the time with the Riley family, it would make sense that the two of us would be involved. The other two would be guys John has mentored this past year - Michael Chase and Kenjon Barner (yes, UO's running back). Anyways, Heather mischievously had to get Michael and Kenjon's phone numbers without John knowing. So one Thursday when we were at bible study, she stole John's phone without looking, took the numbers and had me give the phone back to him. John was so suspicious and blaming me and Heather for doing something. Little did he know what we were planning. Heather contacted the two boys and had many awkward conversations with them. Props to her because I would never be able to do that. And a week ago, when I had mentioned that I met up with a group at Starbucks to discuss an event we were planning, it was this evening. We met up with the boys and it was PRETTY funny. They're awesome. Anyways so the plan was to make them dinner. We were all going to show up at 5:30 and then each come in in 30 second increments. Heather was going to prepare the main dish - Lasagna, Michael was in charge of bread and drinks, Kenjon was in charge of salad and I was in charge of the dessert (I brought brownies I made from scratch this morning. They turned out okay but I realized after placing them in the oven that I forgot the salt and baking powder. WHOOPS!). Anyways after dinner, we planned to go bowling and invite the Whites along. After that we would just come back to the house and have dessert and hang out. Everything pretty much went as planned. Heather, Michael and I all showed up at exactly 5:30....Kenjon was a tad late. All in all, they were surprised! So glad!

Yes, indeed, we were surprised! Once Kaela walked in, I started to wonder just how many other folks would walk in...if it would be a "Thursday Night Ladies" group, a party, or something else entirely. But, then when Michael and Kenjon walked in, I was DELIGHTED....talk about the perfect mix of just the right folks that are SO DEAR to our hearts. And, clearly, based on the pictures, incredibly dear to our kids' hearts too.

The lasagna was DELICIOUS!

Some "family" pics....I'm so loving John's early Christmas present of this new lens....

After dinner, we loaded in to our Denali, put "Elf" into the DVD player and merrily took off to a mystery location. My guess was bowling - which was PERFECT, because we weren't able to make that happen with our usual crew (Quigleys, Meyers, etc..) and I just really wanted to do that that evening. In fact, I even mentioned that to John as we were getting ready for the night as the activity I wanted to have happen. Unfortunately, "Strike City" which had the cosmic bowling that Michael was wanting was PACKED. So, we called "Southtowne" and sure enough, their place was empty and ready for us to take over. Along the way, John mixed up the "control factor" and took them on his own route to dazzle the crew with the light display at the Vickers house. They were definitely impressed.

At Southtowne, we split into guys vs. girls and got our game faces on to do battle.

I love how Kenjon couldn't keep the straight face...

The quartet of conspirators. These four are PRICELESS to us!

While the rest of us kind of stunk it up with our bowling game, Heather was having an incredible night. Strike after strike after spare. At first, the contest was against Kenjon in the higher score, but unfortunately for Kenjon, that eventually got out of reach. However, Travis was having a stellar game as well. As it game down to the final throw for Travis, Kenjon and Michael ensured that Heather would not be distracting him...

Which wasn't at all fair because look at the way Kenjon and Michael were distracting Heather....I can't believe she was able to pull the spare with Kenjon jumping out to ambush her!

As it turned out, at least for the first game, Travis and Heather ended up with exactly the same score. =)

The evening ended with folks returning to our house, some chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, and brownies for dessert - and plans for at least some of the crew to join us again Sunday to see if Tebow can pull off another miraculous win.

I really can't imagine anything Heather could have done different that would have made the evening any better than it was for our family. PERFECT, PERFECT, PERFECT!!! We felt so loved and honored - and absolutely had a blast. Love you Heather!

A Birthday Celebration for the Ages!!!

2011-12-17T08:55:00.000-08:00

Mikayla turns double digits this year. The big TEN! Wooooooooooooh!

Last year, as we made plans for a relatively easy and kind of bland birthday party for #9, we discussed making #10 a bigger deal and actually celebrating it before Christmas this year, vs. in January after the school break. (Her birthday is December 29th, so a "friend" birthday never happens at the time of her actual birthday).

We looked into doing a Christmas Light Limo Tour last year, and decided to go ahead and make it happen this year for her. It was booked well in advance with the guest list carefully negotiated to balance family, friends outside of school, and friends within school. It was also made clear that this would not be an annual experience...a little bit pricier than what we'd want to budget for a normal birthday party!

The plan was to have the girls arrive at 7pm, put together some goodie bags, partake in the pumpkin birthday cupcakes which Mikayla insists upon each birthday, and open presents. By 7:30, the girls had checked off all of the to-do's and we were ready to go!

The limousine arrived promptly at 7:30, and John was ready to capture the action as the girls saw it and entered in to the vastness of its interior.

The four of us "adults" took the bench seat in the back. I'm not sure, but we might have had more fun than the kids! Although, as you'll see in the pictures, they definitely made the most of their limo experience. They cracked open the Sparkling Apple Cider, watched "The Santa Claus 3", and sang holiday songs (along with a few Justin Bieber) at the top of their lungs!

We knew this house would be on the tour. It is Gerald and Suzie Vicker's house....and my dad happened to build it. He also built some of the frames that the lights were attached to that makes the scene so dazzling.... The fogginess of the evening made the effect even more spectacular.

Towards the end, the chauffeur, Dave, became the biggest attraction so the girls were all fighting for space to chat with him.... =)

What a SPECIAL night!!!!!!! In fact the whole day for me was the first of the season where I felt relaxed and at a pace where I could soak the season in. Goodness, I needed the "catch up" time - and to be honest, the "alone time" to kind of refill my reservoirs. I'm guessing I will look back on this holiday season and mark December 16th as one of my favorites! (And, I'm guessing, Mikayla will look back on birthday celebrations and consider this as one of her favorites too!)

Thursday Night Mug Designing

2011-12-16T07:56:00.000-08:00

It's our last Thursday night get-together of 2011. Sigh....but, oh the memories to be made with these ladies in 2012!

We got our Christmas cards in the mail yesterday, so I set them out next to the name tags Mikayla made for each of the girls along with some Brown Sugar Almond Scrub I made via Pinterest...I told the gals if they weren't in to the product, at least the mini mason jar was cute and worth keeping!

Several weeks ago, Heather led us through the most edifying and encouraging experience as we shared our thoughts about each other one by one. The follow-up to that activity was to write one word that embodied each person on a mug that they would keep. We ran out of time that first night, so tonight was the night for mug-decorating. We had Dutch Babies and put "The Holiday" in the DVD player and went to work....

On to individual pictures....
This is Amanda....my word for her is "Interceder" as clearly that is her gift in abundance in her compassion and caring heart for so many people. She makes me constantly aware of how much more I need to be selfless.

This is Elaina. My word for her is "Warrior". She in no way personifies that based on her sweet disposition and quiet personality, but spiritually, she is a fighter and it greatly inspires me.

This is Heather. My word for her is "Victorious". Originally, I wanted to put "leader" down, but that was already taken. Heather is a "professional runner" with aspirations for the 2012 Olympics. However, life has a way of not always cooperating with our aspirations and God has a way of taking us to dreams fulfilled we never could have imagined. I want Heather to know I see her as victorious no matter where life takes her - as she's proved time and time again just how capable she is in Christ to surmount any obstacle.

This is Kimmie. My word for her is "Triumphant". Her year of 2011 was horrendous in so many ways - she kind of embodied Job in all that she had to face. However, she was triumphant through it all, as she gave it all to Christ every step of the way.

This is Kaela. My word for her is "Loved". There are so many positive adjectives that describe Kaela - she is organized, dependable, thoughtful, loyal, capable and talented, etc., etc., etc....and I think Kaela recognizes those qualities in herself to some degree. But I wanted Kaela to know that she is loved for so much more than those descriptions - by SO MANY people. She is a treasure among many's lives - but beyond that, she is perfectly loved by God.

This is Stephie. My word for her is "Chosen". I feel like there are many times in which Stephanie feels like she is part of something or part of a relationship by "default". I wanted Stephie to know that she is "Chosen" - not only as a incredibly irreplaceable part of my life, but as Travis' wife, and as our kids' "surrogate" mom, and priceless friend among these ladies. Most importantly, she was chosen by God to be His daughter....

This is Suzie. My word for her is "Gifted". As schedule would have it, Suzie gave me the first facial I've had in many, many years yesterday too. That was part of the inspiration of the word as she is indeed enormously gifted in her abilities as an aesthetician. But, Suzie is gifted in so many other capacities too - uniquely gifted by God to meet so many people's needs....
Not there last night was Christi - who I used the word "Radiant" to describe. Christi is attractive in every sense of the word and I see her used as true light for Christ both in her personal life as well as her professional career at Bello.

Courtney wasn't there either, but I'm very excited to be seeing her on Monday as her Christmas break begins this afternoon. My word for Courtney is "Complete" - because I see her that way - complete in every way and no longer needing to be or do anything else to be "ideal". She will continue to strive for perfection, but I want her to know I think she's "the best" just as she is.

And, then, there's me. Lots of words written on my mug that made me all mushy inside....

A final group shot of all of us with our mugs....PRICELESS!!!!!

How Are You All Holding Up?

2011-12-15T06:50:00.000-08:00

10 Days Until Christmas....how are y'all doing?

Around here, we're hanging in there. Plugging away with some of the to-do lists and events that are filling the calendar. Those include:

- The end-of-season volleyball party. We intentionally went for low-key with the girls watching "Monte Carlo" while eating pizza on blankets in Jonna's living room. Sad to see the sport season over, but trying to manage those practices and games during this time of year....glad to be done with that.
- Last night was Tyson Steele Practice Marketing's annual Christmas Party. We had it at Marche's - a nice restaurant in downtown Eugene. The food was excellent. Because of the size of the group (about 20 including spouses) it's hard to get to catch up with everyone. But, we were kept entertained by the company accountant sharing stories with his wife about their attempts to once and for all clear moles from their property. =) We were also blessed with Coach and Nordstrom presents from Tyson's wife, Gjusta, which was not only generous but promising some pretty fun shopping in the future!
- We just got our Christmas cards from the printer yesterday....new style for us - another change. =( But, hopefully, I'll get them signed and sent here pretty quick.

- I spent yesterday wrapping presents. It was a fun day wrapping - if I have the time and am not under stress - I really enjoy the creativity of present wrapping.
Between that and my baking day, I've had the opportunity to watch quite a few Hallmark and ABC Family holiday movies. Here's my review on the ones I've watched so far.

"Debbie Macomber's Trading Christmas" (I think that's the title...trading something....)
Hallmark Channel
I really liked this one. A special perk was the actor who used to play the starring role in "Ed"....really like him. All of the Debbie Macomber movies (Mrs. Miracle are in the titles of the other two - are outstanding - in fact, I think I actually like them better than this one).

"12 Dates of Christmas"
ABC Family
Cute....predictable "Groundhog's Day" theme....but I like the different approaches she took to "getting the day right"

"Holiday Engagement"
Hallmark Channel
I don't know why, but this one wasn't my absolute favorite....but certainly not bad - a good one to have on as background without having to pay special attention to

"A Princess for Christmas"
Hallmark Channel
Mikayla and I watched this while she was playing "Santa's Helper" in wrapping presents for the Riley side on Saturday. It was perfect to have on while she was in the room - very sweet.

"A Wedding Tail"
Hallmark Channel
I wasn't that sold on this one. Cute premise, sweet, clean....just not very captivating.

Those are just the 2011 ones....I've still got a few more recorded that I haven't yet watched along with plenty of favorites from years past.

How about you, any new Christmas movies you've enjoyed this year - or old favorites?

- Finally, tomorrow is the last day of school of 2011 for the kiddos. WOOO HOOO! While keeping them from fighting together might be difficult next week, I'm so thankful to be done with the early morning wake-ups, homework reminders, etc. Plus, I see a lot of Schilling kids time in the future for them, so I'm hopeful that will eliminate the arguing.... =)

Hang in there, my friends, during this crazy, hectic, but capable of being oh-so-joyful time of year!

Christmas with the Riley Family

2011-12-11T19:56:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...at least for the Riley side of the family. =)

I'm SO HAPPY that we were able to all coordinate our schedules and get together with each other. I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll repeat it again, but we just see way too little of each other, especially considering how much fun we have when we are together.

It's been a year since we've seen Alex and Andie - how much they've grown and how beautiful young women they've become. Alex, aka Ali (her full name is Alexandrea so she goes by either one) is the niece I had you praying for about a month ago as she had a liver biopsy in an effort to determine why her liver enzyme count has been repeatedly high. Long story short - they don't know what is causing the infection there, but have ruled out all of the "really bad" diagnoses and given the levels aren't critical will just be keeping an eye on it and rechecking her often. She looks great and feels great, so despite the concern of the unknown - it seems to be very good news.

We prepared a brunch meal for everyone to partake in - "Festive Egg Squares", fresh pineapple and strawberries, Cinnabons provided by Mary Beth - and for dessert....cookies provided by Leona....YUMMM!

After eating - on to presents:

Bigtime "SCORE" on this gift from Jeff and Laura....Brayden loves it!

Mikayla is sporting the Ducks stocking cap I got from Jeff and Laura...

Then, on to a little Wii playing:

The bounty of deliciousness from Leona:

Not my favorite pose for the camera - but sure a snuggly spot between Mikayla and Andie. Andie is so cuddly! We did some height measurements and Mikayla has about 3/4 of an inch on her cousin who is only 2 months behind her in age. Brayden and Alex are exactly the same height at 4'9" (Alex will be 15 in May - Brayden will be 13 in April). Clearly this family is a bit vertically challenged!

At one point in our gathering, Andie brought out Mikayla's keyboard and played a Christmas song by memory. Both girls are very musically and athletically gifted....a lot of talent in that family!

It's become a tradition to take a "real" and then "silly" family picture at these gatherings. The real one is the best we've ever taken...it was so great because we were able to print it out as 8x10 pictures and give them to each family before everyone left.

OUR Riley family are the four to the left - then John's mom, Leona, then Mary Beth with her two daughters Andie and Alex behind her - then Jeff and Laura are on the right side of the couch.

I'm hopeful we'll do a better job getting to see each other before another year goes by. Alex now has me in her contacts on her cell phone (and now I have her too) and we've already been texting....so this is a good sign for creating future get-togethers!

"The Hills Are Alive"

2011-12-11T17:43:00.000-08:00

When I found out a few months ago that "The Sound of Music" was being performed by a local theater - and that the roles of two of the Von Trapp children were going to be played by friends of both of the kids, I immediately set to task to purchase tickets for Mikayla and I to attend - as "The Sound of Music" is a movie we've really enjoyed watching together.

We bought tickets for the 7:30 showing, but 10 minutes before needing to leave to coach/play volleyball - I pulled the tickets from their envelope and realized I'd purchased tickets for the 2pm performance. AHHHHHHHH! My heart dropped - Mikayla and I would be in the midst of volleyball games at that time. Not only that, but because I'd purchased tickets so early, we had had EXCELLENT seating, so I was pretty certain that even if we were able to change showtimes, we'd be in the back of the theater.

But, God worked it all out - the gal that I called was EXCEEDINGLY helpful - and not only took care of switching over the tickets, but was able to put some tickets at "Will Call" that may actually be better than my originals. Hallelujah!

So, it was off to play volleyball - and the girls all had an outstanding final game day. We'll have one more pizza/movie party as a team on Tuesday night and then - that's it.... End of Season. Can't believe how fast it's flown by and just how much improvement that the girls have demonstrated. Definitely worth it.

Around 5:30, Mikayla and I set off for PF Changs....it's our date-night destination (though with the long wait we might have been better off choosing someplace different...).

After sharing an order of "Lettuce Wraps" and some "Shirley Temples" later - we were off to "The Shedd" - where the performance took place. This is a VERY familiar location to me as it's not only where we used to go to church, but where I walked down the aisle the day of our wedding. The building just couldn't house our growing congregation, so in 2002 we began construction on our current building and sold our old, very historic building to OFAM - a music foundation to be used for theatrical performances, concerts, recitals, and a music school. It's a beautiful fit for such a special building.

Our seats were on the aisle - first "pew" back....SO GREAT!

Taking pictures of the performance was strictly prohibited, but I did take a picture of this little beauty - asleep on my lap during intermission. No, it wasn't a total repeat of last year's "Michael W. Smith Concert", as she did make it through 2/3rds of the performance....and given it lasted for 3 hours, ending at 10:30, I'll give her a little grace. However, the fact that she slept soundly though the chase scene in the Abbey while sirens and whistles were blowing was astounding.

I can't praise the performance high enough....so impressive. They definitely deserved the standing ovation they received at the end. Piper, Mikayla's friend (and member of her volleyball team), did such a good job as "Marta" - and Brayden's classmate, Anna, was wonderful as Louisa. Well done and Bravo girls!!!!!!

White Elephant Exchange at The Pump Cafe

2011-12-09T22:31:00.000-08:00

It seems like a whole lot of my normal "traditions" have taken a hit this year. Black Friday, Santa Claus, our traditional Christmas letter/4x6 print, and now no longer having "Ruthie B's" to turn to for our Ladies White Elephant gift exchange...sheesh! But, change is a huge part of life and the years ahead are only going to get worse when it comes to transition....so I might as well start practicing now.

After some deliberation, we decided on "The Pump Cafe". It was a little disappointing in that they couldn't guarantee seating so we had to push our time up to 11 instead of noon - and therefore lost a few participants as a result. Next year, I actually think I'd like to let everyone know way in advance to plan for - and consider a 10:30 start so we can actually have breakfast as it is so DELICIOUS (and I was bummed they didn't have it available when we ordered).

The ladies did a GREAT job in picking gifts. We opted to NOT go tacky - but instead look for something we'd each really want to have - and well, based on the "stealing of presents" it appears that that did indeed happen.

Extra Hot Soy Peppermint Half Shot Mocha.....I'm so high maintenance! I'm not much of a fan of espresso/coffee, but have really enjoyed Starbuck's version of this lately, and while it still wasn't hot enough, The Pump Cafe did a pretty good job too.

It was so great to have Steph here again - she's missed the last couple of years due to work, so we purposely planned this on a Friday so she could make it. She's holding up the #1 that proves she got to be first to pick and last to steal....

Marjie and Ann - immediately after this pic was taken, Ann stole the gift from Marjie. She wasn't smiling then!

Left to right - sitting: Marjie, Ann, Tammy
Left to right - standing: Lisa S, Tracie, Lisa Q, Christy, me, and Steph

The neat thing about this "tradition" is that the crowd always changes each year - each time we get together it seems there's at least one new face. If everyone who's ever come decides to show up on one given year, we'd probably have a couple dozen beautiful ladies in attendance.... =)

The highlight this year was a beautiful/devotion shared by Tammy who literally took a leap of faith in sharing it with us. God really nudged her to reveal His words to us and it was so touching and intimate. (I also learned as she shared that JESUS CALLING is available as an app! Before I left the restaurant I'd already downloaded it and accessed it successfully - so cool!). The other major encouragement came from a woman who approached us and thanked us for the prayer I said aloud before we ate our meal - and how touched she was by our group. It was not a rehearsed prayer on my part (by any means...), but the fact that we all held hands and glorified the Lord prior to eating clearly inspired her. Love that....and I couldn't ask for a better way to be viewed as a group of women gathering together in love and friendship.

Lovin' Me Some Volleyball!

2011-12-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

What a whirlwind this week has been. I feel like every moment has had to be purposeful. While there have been some activities filled with some serious pampering (time spent at Bello) - it's been offset by a whole lot of responsibility and preparation for upcoming events. Hence, I've been rather short-fused, which is exactly what I DON'T want to be this time of year. But, unfortunately, what happens is that there are no "margins" left in my days - so when someone/something unexpected demands attention....you better watch out, because that's what pushes me over the edge. Ask my kids....there's not a lot of love personified when I find myself picking up that "one more" cereal bowl or pair of shoes that just couldn't find themselves to their right place. Grrrrrr!

So, with all of this explanation, you'd think I'd be happy that this is the last week of volleyball. Of course, that will free up our time, but just like last year - by the time we get to the last week, the girls are all bonding and demonstrating so much improvement, it's hard to let it go. (Which is why I end up agreeing to coach the following year - conveniently forgetting about the drama that goes with it!)

John took some great pictures of the girls - but I kind of centered in on my own daughter and a couple of Kenady - her Gilham BFF. The first one shows a serve about to happen....she is now proving she is very capable of getting it over, but just like her mom, she can easily psyche herself out. Sometimes this uncanny similarity between the two of us delights me - and other times I feel bad that I've passed some of my own "lesser" traits on...

I love this pic as it shows Mikayla in action as well as Mikayla's fan club behind her - Leona, my mom and dad, and Stephie....and oh wait - I think that's Travis, but it's hard to tell as it appears his head is glued to his cell phone... =)

I LOVE these times when the girls are all so jazzed up - proud of their achievements and each other....and co-coaching with Jonna. It's all really been oh-so-worth it!

Mikayla sure seems to love it too!

Baking Day!

2011-12-08T18:12:00.000-08:00

In the past, I've coordinated my massive baking day to occur on a weekend...I guess believing I'd have the most time. It dawned on me this year, though, that I'd be much more productive to do it on a day when the family is all occupied. With Mikayla set for a playdate with Kenady, Wednesday was the chosen day to tackle all this.....

13 hours later...
All of this was created - which included:
86 Frosted Sugar Cookies
43 Lemon Coconut Cookies
100 Cocoa Peppermint Cookies
90 Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
60 Mounds Bars
132 Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Pretzel Cookies
102 Molasses Cookies
70 Samoa Bars
100 Pieces of Saltine Toffee
and 3 Pans of Fudge

While I LOVED the quiet time of productively baking away by myself watching adorable Hallmark Channel Christmas movies, by 7:30pm, I was dog-tired, poisoned from too much sugar and no protein, and dehydrated. As a result, I was terribly nauseous - so much so that I had to enlist the help of the family to do quick wrap-ups of each of the trays that I hastily distributed equal amounts of cookies to.

Even laying in bed, I couldn't get my mind off of the day's activities - which led me to seeing cookies - which just made me that much more ready to throw up. It takes a lot to turn me off of sugar - I had definitely exceeded my limit. However, early Thursday morning, I was feeling great again and ready to polish off the cookie trays and print out labels of recipient names and contents before John left so that he could be Santa and deliver them to work.

While it may seem like over-kill, the appreciation expressed from John's co-workers and boss at Tyson Steele Practice Marketing always makes it worthwhile. Not to mention the fact that we are SET for Christmas Day cookies at Mom and Dad's as well as our trip to Sunriver. I figure if I'm going to trash my kitchen to bake, I might as well trash it to the hilt and go all the way. I'm not positive if all of the recipes were perfect this year - those that I taste-tested were, but frankly, towards the end, I couldn't muster the will-power to try them all. I've definitely gotten much more stream-lined in how I follow the recipes, the order that I do them all and not wasting any baking time. The fact that I can use a convection oven and have awesome baker size cookie sheets accommodating up to 45 cookies at a time in the oven does allow me to crank through the baking aspect a little faster.

Still, I'm super thankful that this is crossed off my list. While I don't think I'm necessarily done with baking this Christmas season, nothing I attempt will be nearly as taxing as this. =)

"Let Your Light Shine" at the Camp Harlow Auction

2011-12-06T20:32:00.001-08:00

An event that I look forward to every year during this season (among so many others!) is the Camp Harlow Auction. I think this is the 6th year that it's been taking place, and we've been there each year. For the last three years, the company at our table has included the Whites, the Quigleys, and the Leightons (my fellow volleyball coach and Mikayla's school bff's mom and dad). Our table has moved into a better location each year we go (I'm thinking Dave, aka camp director, might have something to do with that....we have friends in high places!) - so now we are right in front of the stage and desserts table. Woo hoo!

When I brought my desserts over earlier in the afternoon, I had the opportunity to get a "sneak peak" at the decor for the event. I was in awe....it reminded me of "Narnia" - I felt like if I got up on the stage and sat on that lone red bench a furry woodland creature would appear out of no where and begin talking to me! I know the gal that put it all together and was grateful to be able to let her know just how gorgeous it was when I saw her on my way out. So beautiful - my little "point and click" camera didn't even do it justice!

Okay, on to a couple pics of the desserts I contributed. Each year, my memory isn't as strong as I think it should be this time of year, so I find myself actually counting on this blog to rely on to not duplicate when I shouldn't - or re-duplicate when I should. This is a Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake....(the one that required an overnight refrigeration)....

And this is an Oreo Cake that I put together. Both of the recipes were first time tries (always dangerous....), but I think they came out pretty good. The raspberry juice bled a little more than I would have preferred on the cheesecake, but maybe that added to its appeal....because - get this....it was picked FIRST by the highest bidding table for desserts! (Each table contributes a certain amount to go to the Camp - and the highest amount gets to pick their dessert first). There were 30 tables, therefore 30 desserts - and altogether they raised over $8000! The Raspberry Cheesecake was picked by a table contributing $700! And, then, shock of all shocks....the next highest bidding table picked my Oreo Cake! Of course, they hadn't tried all these before picking them, so who knows if they were any good, but I guess they "looked" good enough to try - and I made good choices in picking items a majority would pick.

This "majority preference" is actually an issue for our table group. Travis doesn't like raspberries (too seedy), John can't do citrus as he is allergic, Stephie and Dennis don't like coconut, and Chris isn't a big fan of pumpkin. So, that leaves us with a general chocolate preference....this year we got our first choice enjoying (immensely) a chocolate mocha almond cheesecake!

On to some "people pictures" beginning with John and I:
Travis and Steph (both John and Travis were a little "squinty"....):

Chris and Jonna:

And Lisa and Dennis:

And a glimpse of our happy table group:

The initial estimate for what was raised at Sunday evening's auction was over $63,000! That is definitely a new record. I think we'd all agree that the highlight of the evening was when a gentleman purchased a used vehicle donated by a local dealership, co-owned by members of our church. After he "secured the bid" at $5400, he came to the stage and admitted he had not purchased the vehicle for himself. Instead, he believed there was someone in attendance that either personally needed it, or knew who it should go to - and then welcomed that person to seek him out so he could give it to them. WOW! The entire audience gave him a much-deserved standing ovation, which it appeared was never his intention as he was nearly crying himself as he suggested his conviction.

Another wonderful year - perhaps my favorite so far.

Christmas Monopoly

2011-12-04T20:01:00.000-08:00

Arranged over a month ago, Saturday night brought Walt and Lauren over to our home for dinner and a festive game of "Christmas Monopoly".

We've owned this game for almost as many years as we've been married. Some years go by in which we don't get around to playing it - which is always a shame as it is a guaranteed good time (until you land on "Santa Claus" and ending up forking out your last dollar and going bankrupt). In light of that, we've discovered that if we set up a "date" with friends with that activity in mind, we are more successful in making it happen. It's especially fun if we can pull in some of these young adults...as they are less likely to have played this version before and we tend to be in better "game playing" behavior as a family that way. =)

Walt and Lauren are so much fun. Lauren is a junior at the UO while Walt graduated last spring (he JUST landed a position with Addidas....way to go dude!). They've been dating nearly a year - and as I've told John on a couple of occasions after hanging with Lauren, I'd really like to stay friends with them for a lifetime (so that would be great if they did end up married....). I could see them bringing their family down for a Duck game from Portland and our kids babysitting....see, I've got it all worked out! No, really, no pressure from us, but I say all this to point out how enjoyable they are.

As evidenced by this picture, Lauren ended up the big winner of the game, followed closely by a joint contribution between Mikayla and I. (I discovered at 9pm that the dessert I intended to make the next day for that evening's Harlow Auction required refrigeration overnight...UH OH!....So, I had to have a little "time out" in the kitchen to get a cheesecake going - hence Mikayla taking over.)

Here's hoping we can make a repeat of this event happen with these guys next year - and many other fun memories made together in between now and then!

Third Annual Ice Skating Adventure

2011-12-02T17:06:00.000-08:00

I'm so behind....

I've got so much to catch up on, posts to put together for history sake, and some fun stuff that our family got to be a part of this week to share with you.

But first, we'll stick with the most recent adventure. Today was the third year in a row that we picked the first Friday in December to haul them up to Portland and take them ice skating. Traditionally, it's been a day off for many of the kids. Today, the only one who didn't have a no-school day was Mikayla - so, for the send time in two weeks, I called in to the office to excuse her absence for "family reasons". Don't judge me.

The pictures I'm posting right now were taken with my phone. While their quality is lightyears above my previous cell phone's, they won't compare at all to the oodles of pictures John took with his camera while we skated. (He realized quickly last year that skating + his ankles do not = fun). However, that camera is currently in John's possession while he is with Brayden at the first-ever Pac 12 Championship game at Autzen between the Ducks and UCLA Bruins. So, it will be a bit before I get my hands on those.

In the meantime - here you go....Mikayla and I. The first 30 minutes of her experience were a little rocky as before I even made it out of the locker room with my skates on, she'd already took a spill and bruised her chin pretty good. Fortunately, she rebounded and by the end of our time, didn't want to even leave and had improved her skills dramatically.

John and Brayden - glad I got a pic of him as he got so many of us. (Traig was also there, but I didn't get any good ones of him with my cell phone)

Michele and I - this trip is always a special time for us as it brings us back to our own childhood when our grandparents would take us to this very rink - or when it was an activity in our childhood "Countdown Calendar" that our parents set up for us. =)

One of the items we purchased on Black Friday were these cute little shirt/hat combos at Target for $6 each....worth the money when you see how cute they all look together in this picture. (And all the fun looks we got when going through the mall....love these girls!)

Mikayla and Ellie - holding hands as they skated together.

Towards the end of our second hour on the ice, we practically had the entire rink to ourselves, so despite the fact that yes, the strangers watching around the sidelines in the mall could see us, we lost a bit of our inhibitions, and tried a few tricks. I was joking around with Michele in this pose, and then dared her to give it a try. I hope I looked as good when I did it....though, I'll tell you a secret - she fell down just after this pic was taken! =)

There was a moment when "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" was being played on the loudspeaker over the ice (their holiday music selections were so nostalgically perfect) - and I asked Michele if she was savoring that sentiment. Not that I needed her answer - it's clear we were both treasuring what truly is our family's most wonderful time of the year....

Pardon the Absence

2011-11-30T07:08:00.000-08:00

Hey friends in Blogland:

Just wanted to apologize for my absence on your sites and lack of productivity on my own blog - we are in the process of switching up laptops here in our home. So that means that I have no bookmarks or nothing in my browser to get me back to many of your blogs to visit. No complaining, I'm tickled to pass on my older computer to the kids - but, as if it knows it's being rejected, it's being very difficult in giving up its information!

I hope you all are recovering from the long and festive weekend and pressing on through the week....it's already Wednesday, so that's a good thing!

Blessings to you,

Steph

O Christmas Tree!

2011-11-27T19:55:00.000-08:00

It's been a pretty long standing tradition that the Riley Christmas tree is obtained on the Sunday following Thanksgiving - and this year was no exception. Soon after the Schillings' departure, we took off, hoping to beat the storm that was set to come in for the afternoon and dump rain upon us. (And yes, we did beat it!)

Our adventure took us to Carroll's Country Christmas Trees again - owned by family friends I've known since I was a toddler. It still irks me that it took us until last year to discover their farm...as the farm itself is so cozy, they employ high schoolers to help earn money for the FBC Mexico Mission, and the quality of trees - how they last and how fragrant they are......ahhhh, I'm still able to smell it as I walk into the living room nearly two weeks later. =)

These beautiful ladies are Chantal and Sharon - part of the Carroll family that I've known for so long and have loved so much.

A pic of the Forrest family that we saw pull up just as we were pulling out....

My above pictures are a little out of order...not sure why Blogger did that to me, but I'm so behind in posts, it's gonna have to do for now!

When we returned, Daddy took a little nap while I finally organized my Black Friday finds. This led to the kids being left unattended...and with Daddy napping, I thought I ought to put them to task. Just call me Martha Stewart....this idea came from Pinterest. Squirt a little Pledge into the middle of a glass ball, swirl it around the interior completely, dump about a TB of fine glitter into the ball and then roll it to coat and ouila! - a beautiful and homemade ornament...fit for the living room tree!

This is the bonus room tree - which we put all of our "acquired ornaments" on - can I just say how thankful I am that the kids are old enough now to do this all on their own?

As for the living room tree...that's John and I's to decorate and this year it included applesauce/cinnamon snowflake ornaments (I made) along with the kids' glitter balls. This is the first time we've gotten a tree that perfectly fills the space...that we've longed for ever since we moved into the house. It's 9 feet tall - and with 12 strands of lights, to me, it's ideal....

To top the evening off, Heather Spinney stopped by and acknowledged that our tree decorating is actual "more labor" than anything highly traditional in and of itself. The festivities happen in the journey to get it, not so much hanging precariously from the ladder to hang the garland! I love Heather and how perfectly she fits right into our home, no matter what we've got going on!

Black Friday

2011-11-26T23:32:00.000-08:00

Well, folks, the cards are all out on the table here at the Riley Home. A couple of weeks ago, Mikayla and I had "the talk". No, not the one regarding sex....we've already had THAT one with both kids....no, this was the even more important matter....SANTA CLAUS.

The whole issue of Santa Claus can be a hot button topic for parents, I know - but for OUR family, we embraced it. It was a magical part of our childhood (dashed all too soon, I might add..hhhmmmm....Dad.....), so I've been especially vigilant in trying to let the kids learn on their own time the truth about the big guy in red.

It was a sweet conversation with Mikayla - I breached the subject by asking how she distinguished between gifts from Daddy and I under the tree and those from Santa. She said she didn't know, but had a sheepish expression. After some playful back and forth banter, it was revealed she knew the truth.....and I gotta tell you - WHAT A RELIEF! All of the typed out tags and special wrapping paper and explanation as to why there's a pile of gifts stacked in boxes in our boat are a thing of the past. It's a grand conspiracy that now the whole Riley clan is a part of - happy to keep the charade going, but delighted to know the "real story". You'd think I'd be disappointed about losing this chapter of our life, but instead, I'm thankful that we pulled it all off and both kids are genuinely happy that we didn't scar them for life in leading them to believe in such things, but instead are eager for their own role in keeping the "magic" alive in others.

All of these details eventually lead me to the conclusion that times will be a'changin' soon regarding Black Friday. Already, Brayden took place in his second year of midnight Woodburn Outlet shopping with John and Travis. And, Mikayla now desperately wants to be part of our girl adventures. We put her off this year, explaining we weren't sure where the Schilling kids stood with the whole Santa issue - and if she went they'd want to, and the whole purpose of Black Friday kind of ruins the idea of Santa. But, next year....I suspect she'll be coming along...she'll have to practice her stamina weeks in advance though.

BECAUSE....this whole midnight Black Friday thing....it's TOUGH! Michele and I started off at Walmart at 8:30pm scoring deals much earlier than we ought to have (and leaving shoppers that arrived "on time" deeply disappointed). This picture was then taken in the rain at Target, where we waited from about 10pm until the opening at midnight.....

It was while we were waiting here that we got the VERY SAD news that Mom would not be joining us. BOOOOOOOOOOOOO! She came down with a fluke issue that had her recovering in bed and in a good deal of discomfort. What a huge bummer....first we have to start the night before, and now, Mom can't join us. Sigh....

We trudged through, though - hoping to make Mom proud in finding everything on our list despite the hours waiting in line and nastiness of sleep-deprived bargain hunters. Kohls was the killer for me....the 2am 90 minute wait just about did us in.

When we finally made exited the mall around 5:30 am, where I was ready to curl up in fetal position among the J.C. Penney slippers - I thought to myself, this is what my brother-in-law, Jeff (John's twin brother) does in staying up for 24 hours straight in his races, but only he's running at a ten minute mile pace throughout!!!! Unbelievable....again, I'm in awe, because I was done in.

So, next year might look even more different, but despite all of the physical detriment to my body, I'm already excited for it!!!

An Unforgetable Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T20:36:00.001-08:00

Oh what an outstanding day. I guess if you are going to pick a day that you'll decide to stay awake for all 24 hours of it, this would be an ideal day to pick. More on the second half (the part that took place in the dark hours...) in the next post.

With this being the year that the Schillings joined us, we got to have them spend the night Wednesday night. After indulging in Costco's version of Cinnabons Thanksgiving morning, we settled in to the living room with our Macy's Day Bingo sheets to watch the parade.

For Michele and I, though - we were a bit distracted with the ads. Now, if you've followed my blog or have known me long enough, you would know that it is a sacred ritual to save the mighty newspaper full of Black Friday ads to devour after the Thanksgiving meal with Mom and the rest of the family at our side to peruse and contribute ideas. HOWEVER, due to "Black Friday" now beginning at midnight - or even 10pm on Thanksgiving, we decided we had to stomp on tradition by opening up the newspaper early. This shows our mock alarm and disapproval over having to start our shopping so early....

While our home is definitely not big enough to accommodate a family of 11, the dogs sure don't mind it. People everywhere....they are very thankful.

Around 11am, we joined Mom and Dad out at their house. With the Whites, Kenjon, and his brother Martel joining us, we had to reposition and make the table even bigger this year.

While the "menfolk" were hanging out in the living room, and us girls were working away in the kitchen, the kids decided to entertain themselves with Mom's hats in the rec room. I guess that makes Stephie a kid too....

I'm not sure at what point we are going to invite our girls to join us...at this point, the three of us are far too efficient and having way too much fun together to let anyone else in the kitchen. The preparation of all of the food is almost as enjoyable as feasting on it....for sure it lasts longer!

Not sure when I got this apron, but John wanted to take the pic, so I indulged him.

I think this is the first time we've ever taken a pic of the turkey before its been carved up. Our family carves it prior to serving it on the table, so we never get that "Norman Rockwell" image of everyone drooling over the perfectly prepared bird.

Raspberry Pretzel Salad....Travis would enjoy it if only the raspberries were seedless - an ongoing issue of discussion with him.

Oh, speak of the "devil"...(ha, he's sitting next to me as I'm typing this post and I'm enjoying messing with him). If he looks a little tired, it's because he ran the 5K Turkey Stuffer with Heather Spinney in the morning. Good for them...so NOT the choice I made.

The one job we did give to the girls was to get the "drink orders" and work on filling them.

Caught in the act - Brayden's supposed to be helping, but he's captivated with picking his fingernails (of which he has none left....)

Nothing like "Sour Melon Gatorade" to make a Thanksgiving meal complete. They even had the audacity to ask if they could keep the bottle underneath their chairs to accommodate for easy refills.....

As for us "grown-ups" - we went for the hard stuff....Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Cider. =)

Following our delicious meal (we didn't waste time taking pictures when the food was hot at the table) - Stephie sat down with the girls to get some Christmas present ideas.

About an hour after eating, Kenjon finished his practice and meetings and was able to join us along with his brother, Martel - who surprised him by driving up from California so he wouldn't be without family on Thanksgiving. =) We let them fill their plates with the abundance of food still remaining, and after they had their turn filling up - we headed outside for some "Close Encounters of the Equine Kind"

Kenjon has never been around horses, much less close enough to touch them or feed them. It was a whole new experience for him. He was blown away with how big Selila is (much less Holly, the other horse not pictured), but we were all quick to point out how they are actually small in comparison to many horses. (He would have really been intimidated by Merlin!)

Mom was in Heaven showing off her "pride and joys" - teaching Kenjon how to keep his hand flat when feeding them, and so on. Priceless.

After visiting with the horses (and securing them safely in their stalls), we took over their arena and turned it into the gridiron. Now, those of you concerned with Duck football, rest assured that we made Martel and Kenjon the team captains, coaches, and "non-contact" QB's....so there would be no chance for injury....

Kenjon played with the kids, and Martel captained John, Michele, Mom, and myself. I'll tell you now, we lost. By quite a bit. But, that's how we wanted it to happen, of course. In fact, Brayden was REALLY GOOD. We actually tried when we played against him...and what we got was him intercepting our passes, juking around our attempts to pull his flags, and his TD pass receptions from Kenjon. I guess that kid really has learned some skills in his years playing on Pop Warner. =)

It was also so fun to see the littler kids getting their chance to play - oh so precious. Especially Ellie running along the sidelines with her big score.

(This next one is one of my all-time favorite pics....oh Mom....I just wish Grandpa Plum could have witnessed this....)

A parting shot of the Turkey Bowl participants - SOOOOOO great!

Soon after heading in, we indulged in all of the pies and desserts, did some more dishes and loaded up to embark in "Part Two" of the Thanksgiving Day Adventures. John, Brayden, and Travis were headed north for the Woodburn Outlets - and Michele, Mom and I were preparing for Walmart, Target, Kohls, and the rest of the offerings here in Eugene....more about that in the next post.....

Thanksgiving Prep

2011-11-23T21:53:00.000-08:00

Oh so much to be thankful for. I'm telling you, I truly feel like an extremely blessed individual.

This week has been so great, but you can tell based on my blog posts that I've been extremely checked out of my "normal life" in order to FULLY embrace all of the festivities and priceless memories of spending time with my family.

Michele came into town on Tuesday afternoon - and we were all ready for her and the kids (Michael arrived Wednesday night). It coincided that we conducted a fun volleyball practice Tuesday night that incorporated family members to scrimmage with our girls. As a result, Traig, Brayden, Nati, and Ellie got to re-unite with Micaela - who not only assistant coaches for us, but was one of their favorite Harlow counselors - to play on her team against our girls. It was a blast! Following that, we took the girls to frozen yogurt - got to say "howdy" to Michael Chase at "Yo My My" and rewarded our players for reaching their triple contact goals. (In the future, we'll have to either set much loftier goals, or much cheaper rewards!!).

Sadly, all of that had completely done my body in, so instead of hanging with John and Michele (and a surprise visit from Heather), I was in bed again with ice. When I woke up on Wednesday (they day before Thanksgiving and one of my absolute favorite days of the year), I begged Mom to be able to come out and see her. Of course, despite all of her meal-house-cleaning prep, she said, "yes" - and relief was nearly instantaneous as she moved up my spine manipulating and re-aligning. I was in really bad shape, and as I constantly repeated to Michele throughout the day, to be pain-free was something I was not only thankful for, I was a bit in awe of. So many factors contribute to my neck "well being"....many I can semi-control and many I can't. On the "help" column, would be seeing my mom frequently to keep my back and neck in alignment and not "crunched", exercising - particularly low-impact and weight strengthening that forces my shoulders to drop the tension and release their stronghold, and anything like heat or massage that loosens the knots. It doesn't take much to screw one of those aspects up and even if I do everything else right (which I have tried to lately), if my body is holding itself in the wrong way- I'm gonna hurt. Again, I can't be thankful enough for my mom's giftedness in putting this "Humpty Dumpty" back together again.

So, Wednesday was redeemed. I have no reservations in admitting that we let the kids stay home with their cousins that day. Given some of last week's neighbor drama (which has NOT resurfaced!), I was absolutely ready to draw our family in and escape the world (and I did email the teachers letting them know our kids would be gone). Thus ensued a glorious day of baking and prep with Michele in the kitchen - and kicking the kids to the other parts of the house to play happily (and loudly!) while we tried to watch Hallmark Christmas movies on the tv. Four pumpkin pies, one apple pie, marionberry cobbler, cornbread muffins, raspberry pretzel salad, oatmeal raisin cookies, and pretzel cookies were all made in anticipation of the glorious meal that would take place the next day. It was perfect, and once John and Michael were able to finish work and get home to join us, it truly felt like all was right in the world!

A pic of the girls (when we let them stay in the bonus room) - putting together their Christmas lists....

PF Chang's with Grandma

2011-11-22T12:41:00.000-08:00

On the "every other year" situations in which we spend Thanksgiving out at Mom and Dad's house, we've made it a tradition to have dinner early in Thanksgiving week with Grandma Leona. For whatever reason, PF Changs has become the restaurant of choice.

This year, we made it happen on Monday. Pictures to come soon from John's I-Phone, but I wanted to make sure and record the event in "The Cozy Corner" history books.

We had a great time, with great food. The experience was tinged with some annoyance at the kiddos who have yet to completely master any sort of skill of fine dining etiquette, but I was in a good enough mood to not let it ruin the experience. Instead, it was enjoyable chatting about Leona's church, their live nativity and her Thanksgiving holiday plans with Mary Beth and the girls. =)

A "Joy"-ful Update

2011-11-21T13:27:00.000-08:00

This is the Facebook Message I just sent to my "Thursday Night Ladies" regarding the status of my neighbor, Joy. I haven't followed up with information as we have been waiting for further results, but so far, nothing had been looking good.

I was just approached by my across-the-street-neighbor's brother who came to report on the status of "Joy" - the one I asked you to pray for with Stage 4 Cancer. While her long-term diagnosis still seems grim, in the last week she has shown remarkable improvement. Apparently, as of last week, they were wondering if she'd make it to Thanksgiving. She's returning home today and I was overjoyed to be able to hand over a loaf of Zucchini Bread I'd just made for them and even give this "up until this moment stranger" a big hug upon hearing the news. The doctors are flabbergasted by her turn-around and improvement. He knew we were praying and came over to tell me because he knew how much we cared and felt like our prayers had contributed. HALLELUJIA!!! So, thank you, ladies, for being a part of that....

(For the record, still waiting to her any definitive answers regarding my niece....)

Weekend Recap

2011-11-21T06:30:00.000-08:00

This weekend was: upsetting, exciting, disappointing, productive, and unifying. Could it have been better? For sure - but, actually in regards to anything we had control over, it was wonderful.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON:
I'm going to just put this out there and try to stick to facts as much as possible. There's always that fear that anytime you speak of something on a blog, someone is going to find out, and you will get "caught". My rule (after often writing and then deleting), is "when in doubt, leave it out", but I wouldn't mind a little advice on this issue and by sticking to facts and my feelings, if it does ever get read, I think I could have peace about it.

We have brand new neighbors next door. They are WONDERFUL. The husband wants to update the house and send all of our home values up as a result (that house screams a need for curb appeal). They are kind and respectful and have, what appears to be, strong family values. They have two daughters, one that is Mikayla's age, and one who is a 6th grader - both very sweet. The younger daughter was attending the other big school that would eventually feed into our joint high school, but because of meeting Mikayla and desiring a "neighborhood feel", the mom transferred her daughter over to Gilham last week. What ended up was that the daughter felt very out of place, "the new girl", and they ended up at our doorstep after school with what appeared to be tears in both of their eyes (mom and daughter). Oh boy, can I relate to the pain a mom feels when her daughter is unhappy. We hung out for over an hour after that and what came out of it was a definite "statement" that it was my daughter's responsibility to achieve happiness on behalf of her daughter at Gilham.

As you might imagine, this did not sit well for me or Mikayla. When we parted ways, I was very upset and felt like my daughter was being manipulated. The girls are in different classes so Mikayla includes her at recess and lunch, but ultimately, what the mom is doing is forcing my daughter's hand - and creating a lot of resentment in the process. Mikayla and I are VERY similar in how we crave our "private time" at home to re-group and restore our energy/semi-tendency-towards-being-introverted. So, when someone is at the door wanting our attention at any hour of the afternoon/evening - it scares us both. We also both crumble in a relationship when expectations are set higher than we are comfortable fulfilling.

So, we'll see. I find myself wondering what motivated the mom to pull her daughter from a school environment she thrived in and had plenty of friends to this school. Since I believe my daughter is that reason (what a lot of pressure - and no, we didn't necessarily recommend it as 4th grade at Gilham is a MESS right now) - I believe the mom is displacing her guilt/second-guessing to Mikayla - and hoping she can be the one to make everything right. I get that. But, that doesn't mean it's okay. I'm hoping for some space this week to see how everything pans out, but if we do cross paths again, I will stand my ground. I recognize she was in "Mama Bear" mode Friday afternoon, but I've turned into "Mama Bear" all weekend processing all of this. If necessary, I'll make our feelings clear in the best "this is how we 'feel"" way I know how.

SATURDAY:
Through some much-needed prayer, I was able to let Friday afternoon's issue settle. (Not easy...it really bothered me). Mikayla's volleyball team played in the early afternoon and wow...did they deliver. We are setting up incentives for them to make "3 contacts" before sending it over the net. The goal was to get to "10" after the second game of the day. By the end of the first game, they were already at "21"! Woo hoo! To see their pride and improvement, and team play - was so gratifying.

The Duck game......Oh, HEARTBREAKING!!!!! "Our Kenjon" had an exceptional game and we were so proud of him for being an integral part of the 4th quarter comeback. But, we fell just short of the win. It was hard for all of the fans, but for John and I, watching someone we've grown to care about so much walking around the field, physically demonstrating his anguish after losing, was crushing. =( However, if we can take care of business against Oregon State next weekend, we have a good chance for the Rose Bowl. How crazy is it that we've gotten to the point where "The Rose Bowl" is the "disappointing" bowl opportunity!

SUNDAY:
Family mission: productivity! John and Brayden took care of the outdoor lights in record time. Mikayla cleaned inside and organized some much-needed areas. I tackled some pre-Thanksgiving projects and the garage.

Kaela also dropped by, and (I'm not sure what she was thinking) stepped in to volunteer to clean the garage with me. Maybe she felt guilty because I gave her some supplies to duplicate the place card project (Pinterest inspired) I put together while she was here:
But, God bless her for being here to hang out with and help in the garage. We'd let loads of stuff pile up and had to toss, organize, and clean to prepare for Christmas. Because she was around, it turned a nasty chore into a good time - Thanks Kaela!

From there, we went to Brayden's "End-of-Season-Pop-Warner-Football-Party" at Papa's. It was such an outstanding season that I found myself looking forward to hearing all of the "props and atta-boys" from the coaches to each other, all of the volunteers, and of course, the kids. Brayden was described as "having a heart bigger than this whole place" - which means the world to us as parents. What a team, what a season (10-0!)....so glad we have one more 8th grade year with this same coach and team. =)

Finally, CCF. We didn't stay long, but the kids were in great moods during worship, hanging on both of us and giving John and I this joy of being a close family unit. Through all of the ups and downs and "attacks on the homefront", it always comes back to that - and for that, I'm incredibly thankful!

Total Affirmation

2011-11-18T06:44:00.000-08:00

I find it ironic that the preceding post had me "done with people". How far from the truth last night proved that to be.

At our last Bible Study, Heather asked if she could run this week's - working with the theme of Thankfulness as we won't meet again until after Thanksgiving. This was HUGE to me, as I knew Heather was passionate about she wanted to do and I was so ready to pass over the responsibility.

So, after the ultimate comfort meal of grilled cheese and chicken soup we settled in to 1st Thessalonians, chapter 5 and discussed its application for our lives. Then, the affirmation began. Heather set it up so that whoever was holding the stuffed teddy bear was the "target" and the rest of the gals (our entire group - picture taken from last night, minus dear Courtney who's at med school) got to tell that person what they loved about them. I think we all started squirming immediately - recognizing the discomfort of receiving so many positive compliments headed our way, but also so eager to pass on what we saw in each other - and build them up in such a way that it will be a night remembered always.

Because Heather was holding the bear, we actually got to start with showering her with love. And, it was amazing - and priceless, a constant flow of uninhibited adoration for each other. My only regret for the evening is that I wish I had the foresight to consider setting up some sort of video or recording device so that after the fact, I could type out what everyone said about each other and present that to each of the girls so that they could tangibly hold on to these words - these TRUTHS - about themselves.

I leaked some tears, to be sure. When I was holding the bear there was this mixed sense of wonderment and awe that these girls would see such things in me and my family. But, there was also this voice that screamed, "fraud" in my head. I know that's not the voice to listen to, so instead of going with that, I guess I came away from the evening wanting to strive to be even more what these gals believe me to be.

I have also come away with a significant realization this week. Back in my college/young adult days, I tried the "missionary" experience. I spent seven weeks in Africa and a week in Mexico attempting to share God's love with the people I encountered. I failed. I was miserable. The language/culture barrier prevented me from making "that connection" with folks that I so desperately need to establish the sort of relationship I long for when getting close to someone. It could be said that a man in my life at that time chose not to marry/love me because of these failures (thank God, I say and know now...but at the time - how painful).

Needless to say, these experiences led me to believing I was a "lesser Christian" because I did not desire to do the "noble" thing of sharing God's love to those in foreign communities. As time has gone on, I've recognized the nonsense in believing all that as God wants to honor the desires of our heart and He's created us with gifts for specific purposes and paths. I should not feel "lesser" because my gifts don't necessarily lend themselves to "overseas" missions.

Instead, what lacked in Africa and Mexico was "home". For whatever reason, I'm starting to recognize that that is what God has designed me to be and provide for others. A sense of "home". Apparently, I'm not the only who longs for that sense of haven, security, safety, and (dare I say) coziness - as it seems that that is a big part of what draws students to our house - and to our family. Both the physicality of this building, but also the atmosphere (no matter how lacking we see it) of our family environment. It all blows my mind still that there is an attraction at all, but if I'm going to acknowledge it, I want to proclaim that it is very much beyond me, beyond John, beyond our kids - it's a God thing.

Last night, despite all my self-doubts, it was made clear that we are in the midst of God doing a work through us, no matter how lacking we are. And, I can't even tell you how unbelievable that made me feel.

Done with People

2011-11-16T19:08:00.000-08:00

Last night, after volleyball practice, I came home and told John, "I'm done with people (as in adults) - I want to just skip ahead to Christmas break and avoid as many people as possible". I was fried - and felt like I'd been exposed to too many negative comments from too many people - I was just "done-in".

Of course, that's not reality and a good night's sleep helped matters become clearer. The "people" in question are only a handful of folks and not inclusive of the amazing folks that I get to interact with in life day in and day out.

That was evidenced today when I got the opportunity to spend some time with one of the extraordinary occupants of the Trinity House. She had asked to meet with me in order to get some wisdom and perspective from someone who's been through a little more life than herself - and while I tried to offer what I could, I really walked away KNOWING that I was the one blessed by the encounter. This gal is in love with Jesus, and just being around that radiance makes me long to spend time with my Savior and Creator. Not because of guilt or legalism, but because of the infectiousness of her joy in Him.

More often than not, that's the way I feel after meeting with these different gals - for different reasons, with different personalities and "connections" to be sure, but blessed nonetheless. This all goes to prove that what I need to be "done with" is not "people", but my attitude!

Integrity

2011-11-14T13:08:00.000-08:00

I've heard it defined before that: "Integrity means doing the right thing even when no one is watching". I think there's more to that - I think it sometimes means doing the right think even when it comes at a cost to you. Today, my daughter defined that for me, and I couldn't be more proud of her. She doesn't know it yet, but both her parents will probably be greeting her when they see her next with tears and a huge hug.

Here's the lowdown on what happened:

On Wednesday, during lunch time, Mikayla made a harmless remark to one of her close friends about having a "milk mustache". The girl had just drank milk and, just like the ads, she had one.

The next day the girl didn't show up to school. However, her dad, who works for UPS, sees John on a frequent basis when he does deliveries with "Tyson Steele" (where John works) and with a heavy heart and apprehension explained the series of events that led up to his daughter staying home from school. Apparently, this girl (who I don't even know if I've met), has a bit of "peach fuzz mustache" that other kids have teased her about. So, when Mikayla, "one of the nicest girls in the school" (as quoted by her dad), made a comment - that put the poor girl over the edge and she was so distraught, her parents allowed her to stay home the following day.

John got to deal with this one, because it all went down on Thursday and I was MIA that evening. He said Mikayla took the news stoically, didn't cry, but acknowledged how it could have been misinterpreted though it was absolutely never her intent to tease the girl about something she was so sensitive about. I was supposed to follow up with Mikayla and see how she was processing it, but between all of the festivities of the weekend, being "out of commission" all Friday, and Mikayla's total distraction with Nati and Ellie - I completely forgot. Nothing more was said to Mikayla since Thursday night.

Fast forward to this morning, and John sees the girl's father who is overjoyed. He praised our family and Mikayla. Confused as to what transpired, John asked what had happened. Apparently, the dad had dropped his daughter off before school started, and in the time he took to catch up with the teacher (probably to explain the absence), Mikayla had approached the girl and apologized. We don't know the details of what she said, but apparently, according to the dad, it was enough to make his daughter feel a whole lot better. John had previously discussed with the dad how he was going to address Ephesians 4:29 with Mikayla and because of that, and Mikayla's follow-through, our family's Christian witness took foundation to this other family.

Recognizing that it was just a couple of posts ago that I was whining about being attacked by volleyball parents getting upset at me - and seeking to justify my mistake by internally questioning their character or choices, I find myself incredibly convicted. Not once did Mikayla ever bring this situation up, but clearly, it was important enough to remember after five days and make right....even if it was no mal-intent on Mikayla's part. I have a lot to learn from my daughter.

Win the Weekend!

2011-11-13T20:25:00.000-08:00

Thanks everyone for the sympathy from yesterday. I woke up at about 4am Saturday morning, still felt a throbbing knot - got some more ice, and then by the time I woke up around 8am, "All Gone" - and good to go from then on out. Whew! There have been times these situations have been excruciating, but lately the headaches have been manageable once I'm stationary in bed with ice packs, so the bummer about the whole thing is only the "missing out on life" and not that I'm agonizing or anything. Once again, so many folks have it so much worse than me, so I don't want to sound like I'm whining.....

So, with Saturday being back to full speed, Michele and I made up for lost time hitting Kohls, Michaels, and Target with expediency before I had to get the girls ready for Mikayla's first game of volleyball.

Chalk this up as the second "win" of the day (I'm going to give my headache disappearing the first mark in the win column). Jonna and I's team did excellent and really took to heart our charge and challenge of making the goal be more about three contacts before sending the ball over vs. "sloppy ping pong" ball. All of the girls were able to get at least one of their overhand serves over (including Mikayla!) - and we were so delighted for them each to feel the success of that huge accomplishment. Without keeping score this year, the game experience is much more subdued and relaxed, which takes a little bit of the excitement out of the equation, but definitely fosters a much more encouraging environment - with an emphasis on making more efforts towards positive skill building vs. just getting the ball over the net. I really enjoy working with Kenady's mom, Jonna, in this capacity - it definitely makes sense why our daughters love each other's company so much!

Third "win" of the weekend - Traig's second successful hunt this year. Who pulls this kind of success at age 13? A 5 point buck in October, and 4x5 point bull elk yesterday? SO PROUD of that kid - what a way to end a week of huge efforts and bonding with his dad and the rest of their hunting party - in the midst of snowy conditions in Eastern Oregon.

Moving on to win #4.....a double win of sorts in that yes, Oregon defeated Stanford (take that, Lee Corso....next time, you oughta pick the Duck!) - but I'd say the even bigger win was the experience John and Travis had in choosing to spontaneously go down to Palo Alto together and take it all in. They had SO MUCH FUN....maybe too much as I think they are talking about doing more of these "Away Game Field Trips" in the future!

View of the sunrise that the guys saw in Southern Oregon on their way down Saturday morning:

The guys - where their seats were in the stadium - they loved their location!

The guys spent the night in Redding and John snapped this image on the way back home this morning of Mt. Shasta. They got back home around 1 this afternoon. Kudos to Travis for getting the "Best Driver of the Year Award" - even amidst John sleeping for much of it. Definitely a talent, Travis - and it's because of you and how safe you drive that I didn't worry (too much) about you guys being out on the road.

Finally, "Win #5": Brayden's Pop Warner Championship game at Autzen Stadium. Here's his fan club that were seating in the stands: Leona, Travis, Mom, Dad, Stephie, Michele, me, Kaela, and Heather-

And then, the two guys down here across the field are John and Kenjon. John so narrowly made the cut to be on the field - they said "No" to practically everyone who wasn't a coach. However, Kenjon was able to just use his key card and access the field through the locker room and saunter on in....players have their privileges!

So more fun fan pics (How great that these gals came just to support our boy!!):

Really Travis?!

And, an early pic of the game in action. (These are taken from Kaela's camera...the thousands of photos John took have yet to be sorted). We played this team earlier in the season and beat them rather heartily. However, this game, we didn't even give them a chance....we beat them 39-0. Sadly, for them and us, because of the point spread, we weren't even able to make passes or blitz in the second half, so it was kind of anti-climactic. But, Brayden played a good chunk and made some fantastic blocks - we are super proud of his improvement this year. (Brayden is in the black socks and black long sleeves at the bottom of the "O" in this picture)

Some post-game picture fun:

Unwilling to let the party just end - we took the celebration to Red Robin with Heather, Kenjon, the Whites, Kaela, Michele and our family (minus Mikayla who was home with the girls).

This is one of those weekends - being that it was long and drawing closer to the holidays and included lots of family time - that makes returning to the "real world" of a "work week" harder than normal. But, oh what a great weekend it was - wins all around!

Recap in Pics

2011-11-11T20:59:00.000-08:00

A couple of days ago, I filled out the whiteboard calendars hanging in the bonus room and realized this last Thursday probably had more written on it than any day thus far. Just lots going on - with plenty o appointments. So, I thought I'd take some pics as I went through the day.

First up - and most significant, was the fact that it was a "Day Off" for just Brayden due to parent conferences. As my day was so packed, we decided to celebrate it by going out to breakfast together. We headed to "The Pump Cafe" in Springfield - and really enjoyed the atmosphere, food, and each other's company. That kid is so goofy...and once you engage - the laughter is hard to stop.

Next up, a trip to WinCo before seeing my mom for a massage. Interesting that when we went into the store (which I did not get a pic of), there were two pieces of french toast in a styrofoam take home container for Brayden to finish later. When we came back, it did not appear that the package had been tampered, however the french toast was missing. Something tells me that Sydney (who was along for the ride) is also a fan of the food from "The Pump Cafe". =)

And, this is a picture of what the massage room in Mom and Dad's house looks like. I thought we'd include Mackie in the picture, because on days I don't bring Syd with us, that's right where Mackie wants to be - on top of me, on top of the bed. Isn't this a tranquil, beautiful place to get "all fixed up"? Dad did a gorgeous job with the add-on to the house we grew up in.

Following that, I dropped Syd and Brayden off and headed to Vero Coffee House to meet with Lauren. I forgot to take pics there too, so this image came from Kaela who was just there recently too - and the pic of Lauren and I was taken a couple of weeks ago on a walk we took together with Sydney. I adore Lauren....and hope her life follows a path that will keep us as friends for years and years to come.

On the way home, these were the leaves in our neighborhood....STUNNING, huh?!

A "Kenady Playdate" was also on the docket - the two of them relaxing after having just returned from the park.

5:30-7:00 - Volleyball Practice. Thursday night's went much smoother than Tuesday's....our first games are tomorrow and while I don't know how ready we are, I'm hopeful that we'll have fun no matter what.

Finally, the day concluded with a visit to Kaela and Amanda's house for Bible Study. As Michele and the girls had already arrived for the weekend stay at our home, I figured a different locale might be a good idea. Amanda led us through a great discussion of 1st Corinthians 4 and I'm already excited for the ideas Heather has in leading us through a "Thanksgiving Themed" meeting next Thursday. Oh how I love these ladies (which is why I did not crop the letters out of the picture)- and oh how wonderful they are in expressing their love to each other. What a blessing.

Busy day! Unfortunately, it ended in a headache - which is all my fault. On the same day Mom "fixes me up" I go and play hard with the girls in a drill during volleyball. Sadly, I've paid for it all day today (Friday). Three times Michele and I made an attempt to get out of the house and do some holiday-prep shopping (which I was looking forward to and making lists for all week). The first time, after getting all primped - I realized I wasn't going to cut it, and returned to bed with ice after having breakfast. About 2 hours later, I put my clothes back on, fluffed up my hair and we got about a half mile down the road, before I turned around to get back in pj's and crawl back into bed with more ice. The third time, another hour later, we made it to the Dollar Store and all the way to Target....but that turned into an emergency bolt out of the store and over to the bushes on the perimeter of the parking lot to throw up. We went through the Target check-out soon after that and once again - I headed to bed with ice. I'm doing better now....still a dull ache - but hopeful it will be gone for tomorrow.

And, speaking of tomorrow, guess who's driving down to Palo Alto for the Ducks vs. Stanford game? John and Travis! They have been debating it through the week and just found tickets cheap enough to make it work (along with a free hotel stay cashed in...). Since Michele is down, they figured I wouldn't be too lonely if the boys took off - and we'll take Stephie in too. I'm thrilled for the boys.

With that going on, Mikayla and I's first volleyball games, and Brayden's championship game on Sunday - it's bound to be a very exciting weekend!

Not So Great As a Grown-Up

2011-11-10T06:10:00.000-08:00

I am 39 years old. I should be classified as a grown-up. But, I want to use today's post to point out that sometimes I don't really want to be a grown-up or at least act like one...

1) A grown-up handles criticism and necessary apologies with humility and grace.
Me: When I'm cornered with something I've inadvertantly messed up (really, I tried to get the volleyball info out to EVERYONE re: the time change - I really did look for your email to include it and asked the rest of the 20 or so folks to forward it on to you....) I do suck it up and say what's necessary in front of you, but I sulk for the rest of the night in defensiveness and anger...

2.) A grown up handles changes in life with ease.
Me: I don't like change. I can't even adjust (on Thursday) to the time change....still wanting to sleep at 8:30 and wake up at 5:30....and don't even get me started on my kids' growing up.

3.) A grown up doesn't freak out when new people in her life - who are extraordinarily nice - but will be "proximity wise" - constants....want to spend time with her.
Me: I find myself worrying that my life will be infringed upon, that the cozy bubble of sanctity in my home will be shattered by new friends....who might want more than I am comfortable giving....

4.) A grown up deals with death.
Me: Okay, being a grown up doesn't necessarily mean knowing how to deal with death, but I have to admit I haven't had to cross that bridge yet in a major way. The deaths in our family were expected or drawn out - and yet, talking with Kimmie yesterday about losing her stepdad this summer and going into the holidays without him - or our across the street neighbors receiving the "bad news" verdict from that last scan - and for them, considering these might be the last holidays together.....well, I just don't feel very grown-up when it comes to offering support in dealing with all of this.

5.) A grown up doesn't desire for the "other team to lose" just because she can't stand the way a few parents are carrying on...
Me: Yep, that is exactly what I did...

So, there you go. Still a work in progress. Maybe my deficiencies are what makes it easy to relate to the generation 15 or so years behind me -

Happy Veterans Day Weekend everyone - and a special shout-out to my dad for sacrificing his time and life to serve in Vietnam so many years ago. LOVE YOU!!!!!

Phenomenal Football!

2011-11-07T06:40:00.000-08:00

My laptop has less than 10 minutes left of battery power. Our power cord died last night so it is a good thing I am substitute teaching today so I can plug my laptop in at the classroom. (Yes, again for that "beloved class"....and again the day after Thanksgiving weekend....I'm determined to not teach for another class but them until 2012!)

Just wanted to report that Brayden's football team went through the season UNDEFEATED and beat the "other team" yesterday in a spectacular fashion. I'm telling you, IT WAS A GAME! - it was really unbelievable to consider we were watching a 7th grade level team vs. high school or even lower division college given the constant passing, repeated receptions in double coverage, multiple recoveries of onside kicks - and on and on. So impressive.

It was a "grudge match" so it was only fitting that our good buddy, Tanner, who was the one that was taken to the hospital after the last meeting, was the one who played the most dazzling. It was like he had something to prove! =) I have to say, it's been rare that I've ever wanted to see a win happen so much just to defeat another team....not a nice thing to say, but if you were to hear the way that other team's crowd - I think you'd understand.

So, we ended up winning by 12 points, but it wasn't until the game was officially over that we felt "safe". Next week, the boys play on Sunday at Autzen Stadium for the Division 1 State Championship - woo hoo!!!! And, we are thankful also for the win that prevented us from playing during the Duck/Stanford game Saturday night....

Yes, segue to the Ducks....another win and next week's match-up will again bring GameDay. This time, I'm not expecting Lee Corso to don the Duck mascot's head - we are the underdogs again mighty Stanford. But, hey, I think it could be done.

No matter what, next weekend promises another visit to "Phenomenal Football" and with the return of Michele and the girls (her boys are hunting through the week) - and a three day weekend.... I can't wait!

My Kind of Saturday

2011-11-05T12:29:00.000-07:00

Russian Tea, football, roaring fire - good friends and family around, no reason to leave the house ALL DAY!!! Yes, indeed it is my kind of Saturday.

We also have an additional new guest with us. This is "Harley". He is Travis' mom and stepdad's dog and he is a Bouvier des Flandres. While I think he is very cool, the breed is known for being very aloof, so I'm a little put-off by his lack of interest in me - and only apparent interest in his "alpha-male comfort factor", Travis....and, of course, the other dogs....

Baxter is here, not shown is Bogey (who's a little put off by the intrusion of attention into his beloved Sydney and his parents) and of course, Sydney - who Harley is most intrigued by.

His method of trying to engage in play with Sydney is to take his big paw and bat at her. I suspect by the end of the day, Sydney will engage with him, but she tends to be the one aloof with new dogs (but NOT people).

Meanwhile, the kids have sequestered themselves in the bonus room with ALL of their stuffed animals. They say there's some sort of "flood" going on, so they had to move all of the animals to higher ground. Hey, whatever works for me, as long as they are happy and I can sit back and relax for the rest of the day!

"HE-COULD-GO-ALL-THE-WAY!!!!!"

2011-11-02T06:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a pretty special season of Pop Warner football so far. Our team is crazy-good...creating the "up and comers" for Sheldon's district domination of football (and sometimes state too). There are obviously the pros and cons for playing on a tough football team, pros dominating the cons for sure....but given Brayden's size, he's obviously a bit of an underdog when playing amongst such elite. That doesn't stop him from trying though, much less believing he can play with the "big dogs" - and even assume some of the higher profile positions.

One of the major pros is that when we are so strong, it can often lead to a lopsided score which Pop Warner frowns upon getting too out of hand by creating a 35 point mercy rule. If we outscore a team by more than that, our coach is suspended for the next game....which would NOT be good. It's during these scenarios that Brayden gets his shot at playing the positions you wouldn't normally assume he'd have...like running back.

This happened at the last normal game of the season, and bless our coach's hearts, but they kept calling plays in which Brayden would take the hand-off. He gave us some pretty good jukes and spins, but just wasn't getting a lot of yardage.

Finally, the field opened up and he got some distance...and it was a glorious run and the crowd cheered.......woo hoo!

Because of that persistence, Brayden was the honored with the title of "Game Captain" (one of three) for the first play-off game. We've really been emphasizing to Brayden to give every play his "100%" so it was such a tangible expression of reward for him doing just that.

Fast forward to our first play-off game, this last Sunday. As always, John was on the sidelines with his camera and this time, Michael Chase joined him. (Kenjon arrived for the second half, bummer that his missed this, but hey, you gotta love that church comes first for him!) Mom and Dad and Travis and Stephanie were in the stands (Leona was at an antique convention). We'd done some pretty significant scoring as a team and after one of the touchdowns, they lined up for the point after....and at this point, I'll let the pictures do the talking........

THATTA BOY BRAYDEN!!!!!!!!! That's our #8 - and while we've been proud of his efforts throughout the season, this is just such a treat and you can't imagine the grins in the bleachers of all of us, so proud.

This coming weekend, we play the team that was so ugly last time we played. We beat them, and they have a vengeance against us (as if they didn't already). One couple arrived early on Sunday for their team's play-off game that would take place after ours - and she flat-out announced to all of us, "We don't like you guys". Nice......Yup....that's just the sort of positivity and people skills that epitomizes my view of most of the team (at least the pre-dominant attitude).

No matter the outcome of this upcoming shoot-out, both teams will be able to play at Autzen - for either the Division 1 State Championship (if we win) or Division 2 State Championship (if we lose). These upcoming teams are huge (where-as, based on individual player's size alone, we are not that big), so it's doubtful Brayden will get any opportunities for "spectacular play". That's okay, we expect him to give it his all, even if it's just fulfilling his 14 Minimum Play Requirements (MPR's). It's been quite a year already, and we are very pleased - no matter what happens!