O Christmas Tree--our hunt for the elusive Noble Fir

We left bright and early from our frosted parking lot, snowsuits and mittens in hand.  We drove through the fog we are now accustomed to see each morning in our town.  Never would I have guessed I would be sunburned by the end of the day!  We met up with our new friends the Reynolds and followed them to the middle of nowhere.  We found ourselves on the top of the mountains with this amazing view of the Cascades.  Something about seeing composite cone volcanoes just gives me goosebumps!

We enjoyed some hot cocoa and cookies...with no need for snowsuits.

Then we began our hunt.

Say "Christmas Tree"!

Loading in our tree!

The Reynold's Tree!

Family Photo Op!

We came home exhausted!  It was AWESOME!

A Whale of a Birthday--Squashi is Four!

Isn't he handsome!  Our Squashi boy is four.  I want to say that I can't believe he is already four, but honestly I feel like this boy has been four for ages.  He acts much older and his is a big boy.  So it is more accurate to say "he is four at last!"

 Long before we new we were moving to Oregon, our boy wanted to have a whale birthday party...odd for Nebraska but okay.  So when we found out we were moving close to the ocean that was just icing on the cake.  As part of his birthday we are taking him whale watching...that will be a part two as it has not happened yet.

We had a Joy School party where we did lots of random projects and games that had nothing to do with whales but the kids didn't care and I didn't draw their attention to the lack of theme-ness

Recognize the angry bird game from Halloween?...I had to get more than one use out of all my hard work ;)

After school we had the neighbor kiddos come up for cupcakes and play time as well.  Our Porky was in heaven.  It was a great day...exhausting, but great :)

Happy Halloween 2013

Just a few memories captured from this year's Halloween.  I became obsessed with my plans to embrace "Trunk or Treating" (even though I don't really love the idea in general)  but making our trunk into an Angry Bird game.  I crocheted three angry birds...are they so sweet...and angry?

And set up some bad piggies on boxes in our trunk.  Pictures just don't do it justice.

Picture this: we had christmas lights shining around the trunk opening.  I set them up to a little contraption that made them flicker to the music and then I got the Angry Birds theme song and played it over the speakers in our car.  So the lights where flickering, that annoying song was playing and kids were throwing angry birds at green papercup piggies in our trunk.  It was "epic"...the kids loved it and I won an award so I call it a success.  AND!  now we still have all the stuff and enjoy playing Angry Birds at home so win win.

As for the kids and their costumes...my sewing machine broke and is still in Singer Repair Shop Limbo so the Wizard of Oz outfits I had planned never got off the ground.  One stop at a Second Hand Store later...Willard became a vampire, Porky a gorilla and Little Miss a sweet little lady bug.

I became an angry bird (for obvious reasons and sorry no picture) and hubby pulled out his never-fail Mad Hatter get up.  Happy Halloween everyone.

Better late than never right?

We came late to make an entrance...our Willard is now in Kindergarten.

So why now?  It's complicated and in moments of weakness I still try and talk myself (and husband) out of it.

But our first-born is now a school boy and now days revolve around bus drop off and pick up.

He is loving it too.

We have been blessed to get to know two families in our apartment complex with boys in Willard's class.

Since then there is a pack of boys running around playing after school and our boys are in heaven.

I found a friend who is willing to swop babysitting with me once a week and therefore I am volunteering in Willard's classroom for a couple hours a week.  I love being in Willard's class.

Our little big boy is learning to read like a wiz and we are so proud of him.

He wanted this change and he has really jumped in with both feet. 

It's amazing to see him growing up and being brave.

He is much braver than his mother who would prefer he stay home with her forever.