13 Years Later...

...And it still fits!!! 

      A few months ago, the Young Women asked to borrow wedding dresses so they could have a fashion show.  The girls wanted to try them on and see what it was like to wear one.  I dug mine out and offered it to them.  When I got it back later that night, I got to hear details about how much fun the girls had and who tried it on.  I decided after that to have my own little fashion show in my room.  I am happy to say that 13 years, and three kids later, it still fits!  Whoo hoo!!! 

Halloween Costume Party

      I think Halloween costume parties rock!  I love getting all dressed up and seeing how others choose to dress up, so I was super excited when we were invited to a costume party right before Halloween.  It was a family-friendly party with a nacho bar for dinner.  Dessert consisted of candied apples and a sugar cookie station.  You could tell that a lot of time and effort went into this party.  For starters, the invitations were awesome.  Inside a small box were homemade treats made to look like eyeballs.  Along with a fake spider and cobwebs.  They were almost too cute to eat ... but of course we did :-)  The decorations inside the house were really done well too, there were cobwebs everywhere.  It looked amazing.  Every room was dimly lit and decorated to the hilt.  Some people are just so talented!  Spencer wasn't able to attend because he had to chaperon a youth dance, but the boys and I had a great time.  Unfortunately, these pictures don't capture the beauty of the decorations, or the party goers that showed up late.        

Hunting With Heroes

      Last weekend Spencer had an incredible opportunity to be involved in a pretty great event called, Hunting With Heroes.  The Hunting with Heroes program includes three-days of camaraderie and festivities for veterans built around the outdoor experience of hunting and fishing.  Fifty veterans who were selected from a list of men and women nominated for the program, were given a patriotic welcome by the people of Klickitat. This tribute was just the beginning of three days of hunting, fishing, food and music. 

 

      So how did Spencer get involved in this?  Well his good buddy, Ryan, who is a pheasant hunting guide pulled a few strings and was able to bring Spencer on board as their game keeper.  He also assisted the Vets in shooting clay birds.  Through this experience he was able to meet a lot of people, get to know a lot of the Veterans, and even rub shoulders with a few famous people.  He was able to spend quite a bit of time with Jack Hoffman and Jim Thurber of Discovery Channel's Gold Rush, and country music star, Darryl Worley.  At the conclusion of the event, Darryl Worley put on a concert to raise funds for the organization.  

 

      With all the stress of Spencer being laid off, I don't think that the timing of this event could have been any more perfect.  He was able to wrap things up with his employer and then take off and forget about himself for a few days.  And with an event like this where you honor heroes, it's hard not to feel good about what you're doing.      

Zombie Apocalypse Run

      At our very first exchange during Hood to Coast, there was a group of zombies walking around promoting an up coming race.  I took a free t-shirt, thought the premise of the race sounded fun, but didn't really believe I would participate.  A month later, I was talking to a friend who had participated in it the previous year and he convinced me I had to do it.  It's called the Zombie Apocalypse Run.

      When you sign up for this run you have a choice: to run as a Survivor, or to run as a Zombie.  I chose Survivor.  I just loved the idea of being chased!  As a Survivor you wear a belt with 2 vinyl breakaway flags.  We also got a 2 minute head start before a siren went off and the zombies were unleashed.  The whole goal of the zombie is to get as many flags from the survivors as they can.  I knew there was going to be tons of people in costume and the best idea I could come up with was to dress in camo so we could blend in well.

      The event was held in Dayton, OR at a pumpkin patch right before dusk.  It was a 5K course and we ran through a corn maze, into a forest, and out on an open trail.  There were so many things going on while we ran.  A helicopter hovered overhead yelling things down to us;  there were tanks with people dressed in military attire telling us to hurry "they were coming!"; there were zombies walking around reaching out while you ran by; it was super fun!  One family that I ran along with had a backpack full of water balloon grenades.  Hearing their running commentary was comical.  Spencer was originally signed up to run with me, but he ended up being invited to participate in his own super fun event, which I will post about later.  So in place of Spencer, I recruited my friend Julie-Anne.  Both of us were 9 minutes into the run when we got our flags ripped off.  

     One of the compelling reasons I wanted to participate in this event was because of the dessert you can get afterwards.  I was told they sell apple slices that are battered and deep fried; then tossed in cinnamon sugar and covered with whipped topping and caramel sauce.  Oh boy, the goodness of it lived up to every inch of the hype.  It was heavenly, and I didn't feel an ounce of guilt! :-) This was such a fun event!  I will definitely be doing it again next year.            

Family Vacation in Seaside, OR

      The weekend after school was out we headed to Seaside, OR to spend a week on the beach.  My parents, along with my Aunt & Uncle, drove up from Utah so we could have a little family vacation.  The weather at the beach fluctuates so much it's ridiculous.  One minute it's blue skies and warm, the next it's rainy and cold.  Most of our activities were spontaneous depending upon the weather.  On Monday we spent the day in Cannon Beach shopping and having lunch at Mo's.  It was a beautiful day to be in Cannon Beach.  

      Tuesday we played on the beach, flew some kites, and swam in the pool.  The weather was not the best so we stayed inside most of the time, and played during the breaks of drizzle.

      Wednesday morning during my weight training workout, I pulled a muscle in my back and was out of commission for the day.  The pain was pretty intense!  My brother, Derek, and his family drove down that night to spend the next couple of days with us.  I asked Spencer to bring his Dad's boat so he could take all the guys out sturgeon fishing on Thursday.  I really didn't anticipate them catching a keeper, but luckily they did!  This was a real treat for two guys from Utah.  I think trout are the biggest fish they are lucky enough to catch there.  That night Spencer made the best shrimp boil dinner with BBQ'd sturgeon.  

      I spent yet another day being laid up.  We pulled out a cot that Austin sleeps on from his room and I laid there rotating ice on my back all day long.  Not the most enjoyable day :(

      On Friday my brother went home and I decided to take my chiropractor friend's advice and go see one in Seaside.  I got in to see a Chiropractor right away and after an adjustment and some ultrasound therapy, I was 75% better by the time I left.  Later that evening we attended a Scandinavian Festival in Astoria.  My Dad's family is from Norway and he even served his mission there so this festival was a neat thing for him to see. 

 

      On Saturday the weather was gorgeous all day long.  Spencer bought the kids skim boards and they played on the surf.  I laid on the beach, which beat the past 3 days of being laid up in the condo.  We walked the promenade, went in all of the shops, and watched the beautiful sunset. 

      I didn't want the night to end because that meant our week was almost over.  During our week long stay we had ourselves a Downton Abbey Marathon.  We watched 2 full seasons.  It was a hoot.  I think the guys hated the fact that they loved it :-)  But it was something the ladies, as well as the guys could enjoy together. 

 

      I loved spending time with my family!  I appreciate the time and effort my parents put into seeing us, in our neck of the woods.  It means a lot to me!  I have really been pushing for this to be a yearly event.  Last year we met in Birch Bay, WA, this year was Seaside, and next year will be Depoe Bay, OR.  Definitely something to look forward to. 

Austin's Cross-Over

      After 3 years in the Cub Scout program, Austin has now advanced into an 11 yr. old Scout.  Thanks to awesome Scout leaders, he earned all 4 Cub Scout ranks and even graduated with an Arrow of Light award.  I am very proud of him!  He now attends 11 yr. old Scouts where he gets to go on overnight campouts and hikes.  It's such a weird feeling to see him growing up and going on adventures of his own.  I like it.  It's just a weird feeling!   

Four Fun-Filled Days

      At the end of June, my dear friend, Shannon, and her family came to town for a long weekend.   Having them here was all we needed for an excuse to party everyday.  We had so much fun together and I still can't believe how much we did in such a short time frame.  Here is a breakdown:

• Wednesday, June 26th:  Sunshine Pizza for dinner with our families.  It was pure chaos!    
• Thursday, June 27th:  Road trip to Cannon Beach with a stop at Camp 18 for breakfast on the way.  Thank goodness Camp 18 could accommodate a group of our size!  I rode with Shannon and I didn't realize her van was the party wagon, holy cow!  The forecast for the beach was supposed to be sunny and warm, but it ended up being far from it.  Due to this fact, we didn't stay long.  We decided the pool at the Best Western back home sounded much more enjoyable then staying at the beach. 

• Friday, June 28th:  Paige hosted a delicious breakfast at her house, and Shannon set up a play day at the park.
• Saturday, June 29th:  Jenn hosted a BBQ at her house complete with a water balloon toss.  It was so much fun watching those kids loving life.  I enjoyed sitting on the grass in the warm weather soaking it all in.  Thinking how much I love my friends, and thinking about all of the fun memories I have with them.  I am blessed!

Adventures on the High Seas

      This was Cameron's first year of Cub Scout Day Camp, and he was beyond excited!  For years he listened to tales of Austin's epic adventures with day camp, and Cameron couldn't get there soon enough.  This summer he finally felt like one of the big kids!  The theme for camp this year was Adventures on the High Seas.  They made treasure chests, booty bags, and lots of other fun stuff.   Cameron had the time of his life at day camp and he loves the Cub Scout program.

County Fair & Rodeo

      We live about a mile from our County fairgrounds and every July the place just lights up.  It definitely brings our little town to life.  Being back to work at the County has its perks too.  Every fair season they offer free tickets and parking passes to employees and their family.  With that expense out of the way, we splurged and bought the kids wristbands for unlimited rides.  They were so excited.  They rode all evening long.  I even had a couple of turns on the swings with them.  Oh how that brought back memories of growing up.  One of the coolest vendors at the fair this year was an Exotic Animals exhibit.  They had some pretty cool exotic animals and some freakishly creepy spiders and snakes.  I literally ran out of the spider exhibit!  The other aspect of the fair that I enjoy is the rodeo.  The night we went was the kids rodeo which isn't quite as enjoyable, but fun for a while.  I think we all left that night feeling that we got our moneys worth.  We had fun, we ate completely unhealthy fair food, but it was oh so worth it!    

Trying To Understand Austin

      Over the past year, I feel that I have really tried hard to understand my son, Austin, who is now 11 years old.  The older Austin gets the more complicated he is for me to figure out.   We have a lot of similarities, but we are also very different.   For example, I am a social butterfly.   Its embarrassing for me to admit this, but I love to be the center of attention.   I love spending time with my friends, and be right in the thick of things.   Austin on the other hand enjoys friends, but he doesn’t need them to be happy.   Probably about half of the time he passes up opportunities to play with friends so he can do his own thing.   Because this is foreign to me, I tend to worry about his behavior.   Is he shy, is he insecure, is he being bullied?   These are all things I worry about!

       I expressed my concerns with Spencer about this and he in turn had a heart-to-heart talk with Austin to see how comfortable he is with himself.   I was very surprised at what I learned.   I learned that I am more concerned with how others view Austin than Austin is.   He is completely comfortable with who he is.   He isn’t out there doing things he doesn’t want to do for attention.  He isn’t compelled to go out of his way to fit in, he is happy just being himself.   I wish I would have grown up possessing those qualities.   For me, it’s a struggle that has taken lots of years to overcome.  Some days its still a struggle, to be quite honest.   It is SO extremely important to me that my kids grow up feeling secure and I just worry about them.   Now that I understand Austin a little better, I am grateful that he is comfortable simply being himself.   I no longer see him as quirky, like I once did, aside from being a socially awkward 11 year old boy!

Michael & Savannah's Wedding

      Our nephew, Michael, was married last July in Milton-Freewater, Oregon, which is located in the eastern part of the state.  It was a beautiful wedding, but I did not anticipate the heat we would be in!  The temperature was 100 degrees and it was, of course, an outdoor wedding.  Because of this fact we ended up spending more time in the car (one way) than at the actual wedding & reception.  It was miserable!  The wedding itself was really nice though.  When Savannah walked down the aisle, Michael sang the song, "When you say nothing at all".  It took me by surprise because for 1) I did not realize Michael could sing!  Holy Cow!!  And 2) I didn't expect him to just bust out in song.  I literally had tears in my eyes.  I am extremely disappointed that I didn't take any pictures of the happy couple.  How did I miss that!? 

      Because of the extreme heat, the kids were just dying to soak their feet in the little stream that ran through the property.  Before I knew it the kids had changed and had found a small section that ran a little deeper.  They were all over that.  I can't blame them.  Had I have brought a suit I would have been in there too!  

 

Bullseye Award

See, all that time spent at the Archery Range taught him something, lol!

 

Archery Range

      During the summer months our family can be found frequently at the archery range.  What is so great about an archery range you might ask?  Well if you know anything about golfing, then you will understand an archery range.  Instead of 18 holes, you have 40 targets.  Similarly, you walk from target to target, each with a different shooting distance and 3-D animal.  It is a blast!  As a family we take turns trying to see who gets closest to the bulls eye.  It's a fun activity our whole family can enjoy, and you never know what fun little surprises might be around the next corner; like a life-size zombie.  

The Fun Run

      One of the largest fundraisers that our school holds every year is the Fun Run.  The kids are encouraged to get pledges, either by a lump sum, or you can pay per lap as the kids run around the track at school for 20 minutes.  Each participant runs with a card and as they pass by you, completing their lap, you add a tally mark to their card.  It's a great way to earn a large amount of money while encouraging the kids to be active.  I love it!  This year I was free to volunteer my time to help during two of the runs.     

      I started out helping during the time Andrew's class was running.  Andrew was a champ!  It was his first year participating and he is just as competitive as any 6th grader out there!  At one point during his run he slowed down and said, "Mom, I'm tired."  I told him he was free to walk.  He walked about 5 steps and then took off running again.  Yep, he's his mamma's boy for sure, competitive.

      The next, and final group I was able to help with, were the 6th graders.  I was really looking forward to seeing how much effort Austin was going to put into this run.  Watching the 6th graders come out was HILARIOUS!!!  You could tell right away that this "Fun Run" was about to turn into a competitive race.  Austin's teacher, who also coaches football and basketball, had his class doing jumping jacks and push-ups to warm up.  It was so funny!         

      I am proud to announce that all of my boys did a great job running!  They raised over $30 to go towards the school.  Cameron ran the most laps around the track.  He ran a total of 9 laps, which was the equivalent of 2.5 miles in 20 minutes.  Andrew and Austin both ran 8 laps in 20 minutes, which equaled 2.15 miles each.  And Andrew brought home a medal for running the most laps in his grade.   Great job kids!!

Self Portraits

I love finding little treasures like these on my camera roll!