It is all about the iMac

It finally happened..................the kids now have an iMac!

Thank you for your service!!!

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A little fun in the sun on Monday night!

It has been a long time since I've posted on our blog. Truth be told....the sun came out and we ran outside to make sure we didn't miss a minute of it! Oregon is beautiful and green, but our sunbreaks have been far too few the last few months.

We spent the weekend in Gervais, Oregon watching the twins play baseball in our first tournament of the season. They have 2 more tournaments coming up. They won their first two games on Saturday, lost their first game Sunday and won their championship game, placing their team in 3rd place out of 8 teams. The boys did great. Unfortunately, I didn't take any good photos, thus the reason I don't have any posted!

Today was 87 degrees, and not only are the rains supposed to be back for the rest of the week, the temperatures are supposed to go back down to the upper 50s as the high. So, we drove 3 minutes down the road to a local park tonight to enjoy the last of the sunshine!

Our picnic at the park along the Molalla River!
Our 6 little monkeys!
There's no more room on the merry-go-round!

Ryan

Tyler

We almost lost Ryley on this ride!

The kids beg Matt to spin the merry-go-round as fast as he can. I stood back waiting for them to fling off one by one!

Ryan and Ryley's Hot Air Balloons

The 5th graders made Hot Air Balloons out of tissue paper and set them sailing this morning thanks to several camp stoves! It was so fun to watch. Last year the balloons soared off school boundaries and had to be retrieved from adjacent neighborhood backyards. This year they didn't go off of the school property.

Hot air balloons being set afloat
Tyler watching from the field!
Ryan with Sarah -- Ryan's hot air balloon "was top heavy" and didn't float very far, so Ryan chose to visit with Sarah and I instead!


Ryley's Hot Air Balloon launch


Ryan's Hot Air Balloon Launch


Another launch by Ryley

Jamaica Jack performance

Brandon had his first beginning band performance. He is second from the right in the back row playing the Baritone.

To all our friends and family!

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Road trip to Silver Lake

Today we took a road trip 1 1/2 hours north to Silver Lake Washington and went to Mt. St. Helen's Visitor's Center! The idea was to go up and see the mountain and maybe do a little hiking but the mountain wasn't out (completely hidden by low clouds) and the road was closed due to ice and snow to the mountain. We did enjoy the visitor's center http://www.parks.wa.gov/mountsthelens.asp

and watched a 14 minute movie about volcanos and the extent of damage caused by Mt. St. Helen's eruption in May of 1980. We took a walk along the wetland's nature trail that was located at the visitor's center. On our way home we toured (by car) the cities of Kelso, Longview and La Center Washington!

Lilly pads in the wetlands....Sarah was desperatley trying to find a frog on the lilly pads, but had no luck!
View of the wetlands!
The wetlands, with Silver Lake in the distance --Mt. St. Helens should have been visible in the background, had it been a sunny day.
Our wonderful family (and a my little pony).
Sarah blowing a "wish flower" Tori found for her on the trail.

I was taking a picture of a HUGE rainbow trout I found in the water...didn't come through on the photo though.
Ryley, Tori and Sarah outside the visitor center.
A rare photo of me!!!!
Our family with Silver Lake in the background!

Tina's Birthday!!!!

Friday was my birthday!!! As everyone knows it is my FAVORITE holiday of the year (sounds a bit narcissistic -- but true!). The celebration actually began last Friday when my parents took me to Mamma Mia in Eugene and then out to dinner. On Thursday my friend Mechelle surprised me with a WONDERFUL poppyseed and raspberry cake and a gift certificate to my favorite spa! I woke up Friday morning with Ryan, Ryley, Tori and Tyler bringing me breakfast in bed. They came up with the idea to make cereal, toast and waffles. There was a side of pancake syrup so my waffles wouldn't get soggy, and a small plate where they had put small portions of butter, apple butter, peanut butter and jelly, so I could make my toast however I wanted. Such a nice surprise! While walking the kids to school a friend came out of her home and surprised me with a HUGE vanilla bean scented jar candle (I still have no idea how she knew it was my birthday) and when I arrived home, there was another gift on my doorstep! A lemon custard scented soy candle (have I mentions I LOVE CANDLES?????). Sarah and I took a trip to Milwaukie Oregon to my FAVORITE scrapbooking store "Stamp A Dee Doo Dah" and then to Michaels in Oregon City, Oregon. We finished off our trip by stopping (where else????) at Starbucks! I received gifts and cards and emails from all of my family and friends and then once the kids were out of school we headed out for popsicles!!!!! Brandon arrived back in town from Outdoor school at 4pm and we spent the evening hearing about his adventures on the coast. I made one of my favorite dinners --- Breaded chicken with parmesan and marinara sauce, and for dessert we had my FAVORITE dessert -- Triple Chocoate brownies. The kids gave me a pedicure kit and Tori and Tyler decided to treat me to a home pedicure (may I just say having kids is WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!). We finished off the night by playing Hide in Seek in the dark for 1/2 in hour in our home. Playing in the dark with 8 people takes on a whole new meaning. There is nothing like walking through a dark room and knowing at any moment someone may reach out and grab you and scare you to death. Or, hiding in a place out in the open and having someone walk past you a dozen times not even noticing you and realizing NO WONDER PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF THE DARK!!!

Below is a video of the camp songs Brandon came back and taught the kids. They were my after dinner entertainment! It is hard to hear the words on the video but they are singing a rap version of Humptey Dumptey and then adding in various songs like Jack and Jill, ABCs etc. Pretty funny to watch.

Thank you Great Grandma!

Sarah used her birthday money to buy a new outfit for her favorite baby doll! The outfit came today in the mail and she was so excited!!! "Thank you Great Grandma for my baby's new birthday dress!!!!" Love, Sarah

The Magic Bag!

Brandon left this morning (Tuesday) for Outdoor School. The entire 6th grade at his Middle School is headed to the Oregon Coast (on a tour bus ~ remember the days when our field trips required we actually go on a school bus?) where they will stay in cabins and learn hands on about outdoor survival for the next 4 days.

We started off packing all of his belongings in a large duffel bag, but due to a faulty zipper and lack of room, we transferred the items to a suitcase. Meanwhile, Sarah packed herself into the duffle bag. Matt picked up the duffle bag and took Sarah on a tour of the house and swung her back and forth (much to her delight).

This evening, when Matt came home from work, the first words out of her mouth were "Daddy, where's your magic bag? I want to go for a ride!"

The Go-Go Girlz

Last month Tori decided to start a bookclub with some of her friends. They named the group the "Go-Go Girlz". They met for the second time on Monday at our house. Below are some of the photos I took in our back yard. I asked them to "strike a pose"!

My parent's new car!

Here are the photos of my parents new Acura TL!

It is a crazy busy weekend!

This weekend is surely a sign of things to come as the kids get older! Friday night I dropped Tori off at a birthday slumber party at 5pm. Brandon was invited to a birthday party that was starting out at the local pizza parlor and then they were heading to Clackamas, Oregon to go to the premier of the movie "Iron Man" at 6pm. Ryan and Ryley had to be in North Canby for a baseball scrimmage that was starting at 6pm. So Matt took the twins, I took Brandon and then we met up to watch the twins' game!

Saturday morning, Tori had to be picked up from her party at 11am, and I left for Eugene, Oregon at 11am to meet my parents. While I was away, Matt had to get the twins to baseball practice at 12pm, and get Tori ready for dance photos (hair, make-up, the works!!!) and have her to the church where the photographer was set up from 1:30 - 2pm. The twins were to be picked up at 2pm as well!

So, I headed south to Eugene for my stress free day!

I met my parents in Eugene, and here is a photo of their new car! They bought an Acura TL and the car has all the bells and whistles. Leather interior, voice activated blue tooth technology as well as voice activated navigation and only 3 miles on it when they took possession. I took the photo above with my iPhone in the parking lot where I met them. I'll post more photos tomorrow when my dad sends them to me via email!
My birthday present from my parents was a ticket to the show Mamma Mia! The show was FABULOUS!!!

We went to The Hult Center to watch the play http://www.hultcenter.org/

Some silly frogs inside The Hult Center! I took the photo for Tori Lynn because she LOVES frogs!

I gave Matt a quick tutorial before I left on how to apply Tori's performance make up and how to curl ringlets into her hair (I have a new appreciation for parents of children in show biz). He took the photos below to prove he can handle ANYTHING!

Miss Tori ready to go in her recital costume!
Her ringlets as per instructed!
And, her make-up done to perfection!!!