Low key weekend.........

Took Cole to sparing Friday night. T-Ball sign up's on Sat. Macy and I went to G ma Cindi's for a pampered chef party. It was really nice to visit with family. Macy got to see Brooklyn and Ashley. They had a great time! Played Wii fit Saturday night. Today I think a few people might stop by and Macy wants to try to make a barbie cake. I am sure that will just be beautiful.....If we get around to it I will post a photo.

Cole and Macy

Macy



Cole at Gilbert House

Cole at tournament last weekend.......

Will add photos soon!

Our internet is being stupid. I guess that the security system is interfering with the phone line or cable I have no idea but my photos are on my computer that is not at work so I will have to post one of Cole getting his trophy when it gets fixed.............

Cole

Cole got a trophy at tournament and wore his first jock strap for sparing........Grandma Cindi, Grandma Barbara and sister Macy were also there to support him!

TGIF.....

This week has been crazy busy! I am attempting to get Cole signed up for T-ball. He started gymnastics with Kindergarten during the day. He loved it!! Cole has a taekwondo tournament in Albany 8am Saturday morning. Why so early is beyond me. After that I promised him we would pick up his cousin Samuel and take them to the children's museum in Salem. Tonight we are going to my aunt and uncles so Mike can take some photo's of Carly who attending her christmas school dance that had to be rescheduled. I am sure there will be some hanging out and a few drinks involved. Sunday going to PF Chang's with friends in NW Portland before Joe's concert. Then to start another exciting week @ work!! Almost done with taxes now starting on my annual licensing........I hope everyone has a good weekend and I will take some photo's to post of our adorable children!!!

Finally Gavin Dunn's 1 year picture........

What a beautiful baby!!!!! I got to hang out with him tonight and he is adorable!!

Hmmm...........

I have been kinda a lazy blogger lately! Not much going on. Busy with Taxes and licensing at work. Cole has a Taekwondo tournament this Saturday. This will be his first time sparing. We are going to see Mike's cousin Joe play at Satyricon in Portland Sunday evening. Maybe a little PF Chang's before hand. I think Lillian, Sam, Garret, Julie and hopefully Molly and Lindsay are going!! That should be fun. Not much else going on. I am thinking about going to see Jaime and Ashtyn in Pendleton on the weekend of the 24th we miss them like crazy. I just told Jaime to sign up for PBR tickets again for the Pendleton round up we had a blast. Who would have thought that watching professional bull riding would be so much fun!! I will try to find a picture to post I have to get out my new camera and take some pictures......

TGIF!!!

I had oral surgery this week on my gums. They took flesh off the roof of my mouth and attached it along side my right lower gum where I had some receding due to a bridge I had along time ago. Any way ok the first day and now hurts like hell and I can't eat much so I am kinda grouchy.....Went to my niece Amelia's band concert last night and she did excellent. She turning out to be quiet the grown up. Her parents better watch out she is beautiful!! After taking my adorable daughter to ballet. Mike has a photo shoot tonight and the kids and I are going to have a party Macy wants to make a cake for dinner....not sure if that will happen. Saturday night going to see Shawn, Tiffany and the kids. It seems like forever since we have seen them. Getting excited for or trip to Tahoe in February!! for Mike's 40th! I did call the snowmobiling company and they said they were closed due to lack of snow. I may have to look up a snow dance for when we arrive. That would be my luck that I plan a wintery vacation and it will rain...........Well I hope everyone has a relaxing safe weekend. I need to post some pictures again one of these days.

Good time with Molly and Lindsay and the girls...

We went out for George's B-Day Friday night at Divinci's I realized I really do not like Martini's much except the one we had in Seattle. It was nice and we had a good time visiting and the food was great. Saturday clean clean clean and put away christmas. Now the house looks empty. Lindsay Molly and their 3 girls came over Saturday night for dinner. We had a great time hanging out with them and seeing the kids trash the upstairs was amazing!!!! They partied. Macy wanted them back over this morning and I told she had to clean her room first. You could not even see the floor! At least they played with her toys and play clothes she doesn't. Off to Claim Jumper to tell Jake good Bye....... he fly's back to college next week. TIme goes by so fast!! Busy organizing for the end of the year and getting taxes started fun fun. I definitely need to access that gym membership I have been paying for for the last several months just too busy over the holidays.

2009!!

Rang in the new year at home in PJ's with friends. The holidays were great but I am so glad they are over......I am actually tired of eating all the goodies and cooking. I felt kinda exhausted yesterday. We had Amy Mike's sister with disabilities over for christmas Sun. she lived in my foster care home for 7 years until she got to aggressive due to her brain not able to control her impulses. Any way every time I see her she makes me nuts but I love her dearly and miss her. She truly feels like my sister!! We had some pretty crazy times. It also always makes me a little bit sad that she has such significant disabilities that only allows me to see her now for short periods of time. She would have been someone I would have spent a lot of time with she has a wonderful sense of humor. I am sure she got it from my mother in law.

Ok enough of that!! Out to eat again!! Tonight with friends martini's are suppose to be good. After trying a new restaurant last week and getting deathly ill from the food. I hope this one doesn't do me in if so I will give up on eating in Salem! Then to clean up christmas decor Saturday. That should take me all day.

Jake goes back to Ohio State so we will again go out to eat in Portland to tell him good bye. I wish we would have had more time to see him but I have to remember that he is 19 and we are just not that cool!!

Well I am super late getting off to work! I stayed up late working so my day would be not so crazy and here I am tired and wasting time on the computer to stress me out about being late! It is so fun to be me sometimes........I guess who is going to care??? ME......

Beware!!!

Had dinner with my two girlfriends last night. I had a great time. We ate at Johnathan's Oyster Bar which I have heard is good but I will NEVER eat there again. They were out of fish and oysters!! They also had no butter or onion rings. So I wound up with some deep fried frozen fish that I spent all morning puking up I think they almost killed me. We felt like we were on an episode of chef Ramsey kitchen nightmares. Summers steak was so raw it talked to her. Lillian's was so bad she tried to salt it for flavor. Just thought I would warn anyone that might want to eat there. I was sick as a dog!! Then we told the waitress and she said well I can only give you 15% off and another round of drinks. Maybe she thought if we were drunk the food wouldn't taste and look so awful...... Better now!!! I hope everyone has a safe and fun New years eve. We are staying home making mexican food and margarita's!! Sam and Lillian are coming over should be fun!! Well off to get ready for work talk to you in 2009!!

Marley and Me....

Well I think I have ruined my son over this movie. I really had no idea what it was about and they really wanted to go see it. So Grandma Cindi and Pappa came over for pizza and we went downtown to see it! What a tear jerker.......Cole started crying before he got into he car to leave and wanted to sleep with Angus in the spare bed tonight! I had to drink a glass of water to make sure I wasn't dehydrated after my tears rolled down my face for 10 min. It is nice to honor our faithful wonderful fury family members that love us unconditionally. Or for mine anyone who will give them food!!! I can't imagine our lives with out Toro and Angus!!

Back to work.........

I am ready for 2009!! I had so much fun this past few weeks we were able to see some family that we hadn't seen in way too long!! We played in the snow with the kiddies! I finally made it in to downtown Silverton to do a little shopping in our Arctic blast and talked to some great people and was amazed at what cool shops we have. I think Cindi was very patient with me while I shopped my little heart out! Now it is time to roll up my sleeves and get some end of the year stuff done and prep for a great 2009!!! I hope everyone has a good week it is hard to get back into the swing of things but I am kinda ready for it. Wow the dairy stinks right now with all this damn rain it is making me sick better go light some candles!!

Just reflecting on the last few weeks.....

I have some very close friends and family that have had some really crappy times over the Holidays. I know that there is nothing I can say to make it any different other than I love you all and I know that you are all very strong wonderful people. Hang in there you all are what make me think that this time I have here isn't such a bad deal. I wish I could be there for my friend that lives far away it makes it hard to feel like I am there for her. With that said I feel like there is probably more I could do for my friends and family here. With running a business and having a family I get so damn busy and wish I had more to give. So I am wishing everyone a wonderful 2009!!! God knows I can't handle any more loss or shit in my life!!!

I added this song well actually the 2 songs Don't give up and Just dance they seemed fitting for how I was feeling while thinking about the people I love and some of the struggles they have faced. Anyway Don't give up I had listened to like 12 years ago and had not heard it for ever and I was in Banana Republic and I heard a Kate Bush song and it totally made me hop on line and look up this great song enjoy! She is the female voice with Peter Gabriel.

We had a great christmas and hope to have a great 2009!

Merry Christmas!!!!!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas........I am sure having one. Post pictures w/ my new camera later!!!

Christmas at Mom's

Snow pic's.........

Our house in Silverton


My beautiful drive on 213


My house in Portland

Jake is home from Ohio State!

Cole won't leave him alone!!

What will they think of next!

Burger King came out with a body spray that smells like a burger!! How sick is that......The crazy part is I know a few people that would enjoy it! Kristen and I thought we would use some then go to the dog park for entertainment. Although we might get eaten alive! Merry Christmas and I hope all are surviving the Arctic Blast of 2008! I got studded tires and now feel like I could handle anything so bring it weather man.

Cookie Decorating......

Cole was too crabby to participate but we had a great time!! Amelia may never want to spend the night again we baked cookies for about 4 hours. Maegan and McKenzie, Gavin, Amelia, Julie, Mom, Cindi, Macy and I frosted away. I am a sucker for cut out cookies and ate way too many!! They attempted to play in the snow but we didn't have very much. I wish anyone that is commuting in the am a save journey!

Cole is now a green belt!!

I think I have found my calling!!

We went to dinner with our friends Molly and Lindsay last night and had a great time. We ended up going to Iggy's in Brooks it is a little smoke free bar that has shuffle board! I could play that game for hours. These old farts beat us at took the game way too serious but I want a rematch!! It was fun!! So I was thinking of signing up for the shuffle board competition but I better practice. They have a shuffle board right now at Costco I just would have no where to put it. Maybe I need to talk to Shawn and Tiffany they have the perfect spot in their house!!! Any way it was a good time. No kids they went to grandma's and I am still up at 6:30.............On a mission to figure out how to play more shuffle board!

Getting ready for Christmas....

Went to McKenzie my nieces band concert last night after ballet with Macy. It was nice to hear some christmas music and McKenzie looked beautiful and played very well. Came home and wrapped a bunch of Christmas presents. Cole is hoping for snow!!! The kids are off to grandma's tonight so we are going out with some friends to have a little christmas cheer our selves!! Cole graduates to a green belt in Taekwondo Saturday. Sunday we are baking and decorating a ton of christmas cookies. That is if I get them all baked. We will have a house full of kids to help unless the weather prevents them from coming then I guess I will have a ton of cookies to decorate!

Kids Christmas Program

Cole was Jangle the elf! Macy sang a few songs including feliz navida. It was the cutes program and they were so good and performed awesome!

Went to see Santa!

In my Life....

Well I ran across this song in my CD changer yesterday and it brings instant lumps in my throat and tears fun down my face. This was one of my fathers favorite songs and we played it at his services when he passed away. It's been about 4 1/2 years. I have done a lot of self discovery over the last year and I must say it has not been easy. Just thinking of you Dad and thought I would share this beautiful song with whom ever wants to hear it.

Cutting the tree...........

Getting our tree today!

Well that is our 2nd! I always have 2 one fake so I can put it up the second we are done with Thanksgiving and we go cut one down for the smell and messy pine needles. We are attempting a family photo this afternoon. My blackberry storm came but no one was home to get it so off to Fed Ex this am to pick it up! Mike and I alway tease each other because he is an iphone man and I have always loved the blackberry so I hope it kicks his iphone's butt! So I can give him crap for it all day! We had a good time with Brian and Kellie last night at dinner for his B-Day! We got a call from the babysitters that Macy unwrapped the one gift under the tree that was for Mike while they were out of the room then told them that my Daddy said it was ok. They just wanted to know if they could wrap it back up for us! Macy is such a pill sometimes but has a ton of personality!!

Pic from last christmas!

Macy Ballet

Last night was parent observation night at Macy's ballet class. This was the first time I have seen the class in action. It was to cute for words!! She made so many ugly faces at the camera I really didn't get any great photos but here are a few pics. Then went to Summers for a candle party! It was nice to see her there just isn't enough time anymore to spend time with all my amazing friends!!!!

Cole got his sparing gear!!!

Europe!

I deleted my last post on Europe due to my opinion offending someone who I never thought would read my blog! It was not to create drama although someone turned it in to that. I am entitled to my opinion. For someone who asked in a legal settlement to never have to see us or talk to us. I was kinda floored that her Niece would follow my blog. Unless my 1 person who follows it felt obligated to create drama. Anyway it was to really talk about the trip and I just added my frustration about the situation and removed it to keep the peace. I would recommend you not read my blog if you don't like me in the first place. Makes no sense to me......I think I wear my feelings on my sleeve so probably nothing you didn't already know.

Merry Christmas!!

Finished most of my Christmas cards last night at 11pm!! Got one tree up and getting the next on Saturday!! The kids have their Christmas program on Monday eve. Cole is going to be Gangle the elf. We got his costume Sunday. Making our gingerbread house on family night the kids are so excited.!! I do wish our christmas lights were on the house but hopefully this week!! I am trying my best to not get too stressed and enjoy this holiday season!!

Happy December 1st.........

Wow busy busy busy.....I cannot believe it is December! I am sure I will be blogging away with adorable photos of the kiddies this month. I am also making them MAC books for the year with all their amazing photos I have taken so I will share some as I go. When I start that is. Between getting taxes prepared for work, holiday activities, ballet classes for Macy, Taekwondo for Cole and everything else that goes with December. But I will get it all done I always do. I hope we all have a safe happy low stress (ha ha ha) Holiday season!

Last year!