It is pumpkin picking time!

This is our second year visiting Bauman Farms! You can visit their website at http://www.baumanfarms.com/fallactivities.html. They have tons of things to do -- corn mazes, hay mazes, a wooden fort, apple sling shots, hay rides.

The kids survived the completely dark hay maze (it only took them 1 hour and 45 minutes to get all of the way through it), a corn maze (that had seen better days), and the pumpkin patch where we ended up with 206 pounds of pumpkins!!!!

A message from George Carlin

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.
We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.
We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.
We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.
We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes.
These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.
It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...
Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.
Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.
Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.
Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.
Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.~ George Carlin

Fall is here!

It has been a while since we posted so we thought we'd send out an update. Matt is now working at Dick Hannah Subaru/Lincoln/Mercury as Service Director in Vancouver, WA.
Brandon is staying busy with school, band, scrabble and chess clubs. Ryan is still loving football and Tyler is our soccer boy! Tori is active in Jazz and Musical theater. Ryley hasn't shown interest in any of the fall sports this year and so he is just enjoying school and video games. Sarah is keeping me busy as my full-time playmate!

We put our house on the market this weekend! Hopefully we can get it sold by ourselves. You can view the blog we set up for it at canbyhome.blogspot.com.

We are actively house hunting in Vancouver/Camas/Salmon Creek Washington, but have yet to find a home that is large enough with a big enough yard. We don't want a huge yard, but large enough to keep our active Boxer out of trouble would be nice!

The day has come!

Today was the day we have all been waiting for! Tori finally lost her right front tooth - after wiggling and jiggling and pulling with yarn, it finally came out (along with the hard root that was longer than the tooth itself). She's asked the tooth fairy not to take it since it was such a freaky tooth!

Movin' on up!!!

It was another busy weekend for our family! Saturday morning we cheered Ryan on at his football game vs. Wilsonville. The Canby Cougars won 18-13!

Then, we all headed up to Vancouver, Washington where we drove around the city and surrounding area! Matt has been offered a position at a dealership in Vancouver so we will be moving north (once again) as soon as our house sells! The kids are very excited and have all put in their requests for the next house we buy!

Sunday we spent the day cleaning out the attic and closets in preparation for our move!

Sunday night was "Silly hair night" at AWANA for the kids! Ryley has the funky wig, we dyed Ryan and part of Tori's hair with koolaid. The rest of the kids went for the green hair spray!
It was all to exciting for little Miss Sarah! She fell asleep reading a book.

It's all about the sports!

Well, fall is here, school has started, and the rat race begins with our weekends of endless sports activities. We spent our morning at Tyler's soccer game, here in Canby. Then headed straight to Hillsboro for Ryan's football game. Then it was a quick dash home to watch UofO vs. Fresno State --- GO DUCKS!!!!!!!!

Tyler throwing in the ball to his teammates.
"If it moves, kick it! If it doesn't move -- kick it until it does!"
Ryan and Sarah cheering for Tyler!

Ryan "Red Shoes" playing running back!
Ryan playing outside line backer! Final score 28 Canby 12 Hillsboro! Go Cougars!!!!

On a sad note, during Ryan's football game against Hillsboro, one of the other team's players took a really hard helmet to helmet hit. An ambulance had to be called to the scene, and the player was taken away for evaluation. He had movement in all four extremities which was a positive sign. Our prayers go out to the family of that player as well as the team.

It is back to school for the kids!

The kids were all eager to head back to school today! Only Tyler wanted me to walk with him to class! They are all growing up way to fast!!!! It was fun to walk to school and see all our friends and neighbors again. Summer went by so fast, it really felt like a short break and not a long vacation like it usually does!

Brandon is in 6th grade and attending Middle School! Yikes! His favorite thing about school today was having different teachers and classes and his own locker. The worst part of day he decided was how hot and stuffy the school gets.
Tori is in 4th grade! Her favorite part of the day was getting to see Mr. Van Acker (she got the teacher she was hoping for) and visiting with all of her friends. She said the worst part of the day was having to leave!
Ryley is in 5th grade! His favorite part of school today was going to music class because they played a game where the teacher played a song on the piano and you had to guess what the song was. For the worst part, his comment while walking home from school sums it up, "I think my teacher is a little harsh....he gave me homework on my first day!"
Tyler is in 2nd grade and in Spanish Immersion! His favorite part of the day was singing in music class. His day was so fabulous he can't think of a "worst" part.
Ryan is in 5th grade! His favorite part of the day was "art class" because he got to start making paper mache` masks. The worst part of the day was taking the math test "because at the end it was really hard".