Friday, October 29

Memories are made of these....


Today was the Harvest Festival at the kids school. They got to bring their costumes to school & change into them at 1pm in time for the school parade & festivities. Here is a link to my facebook album of moments i caught on film today at school:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=80116&id=1639255198&l=3cc50e33f1


When you copy & paste the link into your browser - you will also get to see a copy of our November babies birthday invites. They were computer printed at home & embellished by hand, of course! (Its not fun & splashy enough for 2 of my 5 favorite days of the year if I dont. Pretty simplified parties this year - only got to invite 5 friends each, but it will be a good time & DD & Eli are grateful!

This weekend is busy with football games, halloween parties, good ol' Eagle Creek's Family Fun Night, Spook Alley & the annual costume contest (which I predict only 1 of the kids placing this year-no big deal), & of course trick or treating with our best friends & their kiddos. Have a safe & fun family weekend!!!

Monday, October 25

Kids Away-Parents Play

I marinated steak, bell pepper, mushrooms, onion, & cherry tomatoes for 5 hours & then assembled 40 some shishkabobs. Alan BBQ'd them up for me. I made rice, a couple appetizers, & 20 some jello shots. Ive never even had a jello shot. Sounds pretty immature college like behavior but yah its ok - no drinking & driving going on. I dont think the jello shots were intoxicating as much as they were filling. Mine were in these 10 oz plastic cups I had leftover from a bday party - so you had to eat them with a spoon. LOL! Had pineapple jello w/ coconut rum, orange jello with whipped cream flavored vodka, stawberry jello with spiced rum, and peace jello with whipped cream vodka.
We had Shawn Brewster & his girlfriend Dana Richardson over ....grew up with both of them since Grade School on up. Randy Johnson & his wife Kirsten, same deal grew up with Randy all my life....Kirsten didnt attend EHS with us all but its as if she did because she knows everyone in the town. Real sweetheart! Of course Danny & Jen Hopkins were there...no get together is complete without them. Lets see...Shawn & Kirsten had never sang karaoke before but we corrupted them & had them singing multiple times! It was great! Who knew Mr. Shy Randy was actually George Strait? I was so impressed. He swooned his wife with all sorts of oldies. Dana knew how to belt several songs out & was a ton of fun to be around! Danny & Alan did their traditional Willie Nelson & Toby Keith Duet....Danny & I butchered some oldies from our little era, and Jen brought down the house with the first rap song of the night. Fun times...lots of talking, eating, laughing, & catching up. Oh almost forgot the highlight of the evening was when I turned off all the lights & stood singing my "signature song" with the light of the tv karaoke screen illuminating my happy fat face :-) LOL - good times!

Here are a handful of cruddy quality photos taken from the video camera in poor lighting. Click on this link to my facebook album:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=79773&id=1639255198&l=e8b278a4f9

Saturday, October 16

Mid October Already?

Jeepers! I know we always say it but WOW time really does fly! It seems to go even faster the older we get, the older our kids are?!

Anyhoo....so flag football is wrapping up. It actually ended up being a cute sport. The boys have already been asking about tackle football for next fall....hoping they forget about that. Here is a link to the football album: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=78235&id=1639255198&l=160f7449b8

Our magnificent Senior in HS, Mr Payton James Hibberd, is on track with his grades. Im looking forward to conferences with his teachers on Monday. His Senior Portrait turned out handsome, not like that wasnt expected! This is NOT his Senior Portrait (we are not supposed to post his portrait yet, , , waiting) Other Payt News?? He's wanting to get his license but we are still shopping around for more affordable car insurance. Plan to finish my calling around by Tuesday. Our insurance company that we've had for 10+ years quote was more than double to add Payton! The Army really keeps pestering Payton...he did lookover their material for mental health specialist but with the active war going on . . . we're privately hoping he chooses community college for his Fall 2011 plans. So far MHCC sounds like his plan. HS Graduation ceremony is scheduled for June 3, 2011.

Also in the news this month....Mr Nolan Ricky lost his 1st baby tooth! Nolan loves kindergarden, and goes PT mornings Mon, Wed, Fri & all day on Tues & Thurs. He is looking forward to his 1st field trip to a pumpkin patch this week. His teacher says Nolan is a great student - a bit squiggly at times - very social - and well behaved. 1st time we've had one of the kids described as squiggly but yes the boy has been moving & squirming since birth. Our busy boy!!

Just wrapped up conferences with the kids teachers....all 3 of the youngens are doing fabulous.

Darla's teacher gushed about what "a good human being Darla is". She has been impressed with Darla's writings. I plan to take a photo of one of her poems, and also post one of her writings that the teacher chose to read aloud to the class. Other Darla news...her ringlets/curls have returned...thanks to the layers we had cut into her hair. She can shower & wake in the morning with quite a head of curls. She has enjoyed experimenting, including using a hair straighener/iron as well. Softball has ended - basketball has started & her papa is Assistant Coach (couldnt commit to Head Coach bcuz of work). We think Darla is gonna really rock & roll this season of basketball. Our DeeDee also just got new glasses, which her eyesight has improved. She only needs to wear them at school in class, and at home when doing homework/reading. Right now Darla is away at her best friends vacation cabin...she will return after staying 4 days...what a treat for her! Ive been dogsitting her lil' miss Lila, the chihuahua. :-(
Elijah Alan for the 1st time in his life has really started branching out. His life used to be 110% basketball. He actually has been mixing it up a bit...playing soccer at recess even! He has tried baseball, football, but is bummin' he was not allowed to play for our local basketball league on the 3rd/4th team. He is only in 2nd grade but runs circles around most of those kids. I have been lobbying the local club for 10 years now to offer basketball for the k-2 age group. We are one of only 3 in the Clackamas & Multnomah County school districts to not offer basketball to this group. All the other ball clubs say the k-2 is the 1st age bracket to fill up in fact, and they have the most teams for that age! So unless I get them to change their mind... we will continue to drive Elijah down to Gresham in the winter to play with their 3rd/4th team. Elijah is excited about his costume for halloween. I am anxious for halloween to be over with because I can cut his hair on 11/1. He has been growing it out for his costume. Its a suprise!!

As for Alan...working hard.....our bills, especially medical bills, have really caught up to us. Paying $50 a week for company van gas, the $2 hour "temporary" across the board pay cut that happened 2 years ago has really hurt us, BUT overtime has been reinstated. I desperately need to get a job! Just updated my resume yesterday! YEAH!! Poor Alan spent $35 for a new starter for his truck today but nope the darn thing still wont start. When it rains it pours I tell ya! We count our blessings! We thank God for having a home, our health, and all our amazing family & friends. It wouldnt hurt to have a little prayer for our family though. We are trying a new church out, and we really need prayer for wisdom regarding our finances right now. Thank you all & love to you all.

Saturday, October 2

Hello October

What do you have in store for us October 2010?

As for September you've looked like:
1. Fall Softball *continues 2 more weeks

2. Flag Football *continues 2 more weeks

3. Checking out a new church *again tomorrow
4. Eye Appts & new glasses * last of these appts Mon

5. Lots of dentist appts * 1 more appt for 2 kids

6. Researching Auto Insurance for teen driver * scary
7. Homework *ongoing
8. Housework * neverending
9. Hiking * more more more before the snow flies

10. Dieting * commitment