Donating to "Locks for Love"

Tori has been growing her hair out for a VERY long time and it has finally reached her waist! So, we headed to the local salon to donate her hair to Locks for Love.

Before photo --- her hair was all the way down to her waist!

Heading to the salon!

At the salon -- She brought a photo of a trendy new hairdo she wanted!

They braided her hair in preparation for the donation!

Her braids are cut and ready for donation!

Getting her trendy new hairdo!

Her new trendy hairdo and 13 inches worth of golden locks!

Do you VooDoo?

In our home, every Sunday is "doughnut day", and that usually means that Matt gets up bright and early and heads to our local Thriftway for a couple dozen doughnuts. Today however, we decided to take a road trip to Portland and try the famous VooDoo Doughnuts, that everyone raves about. The shop keeps with Portland's motto "Keep Portland weird"!

In the parking lot of VooDoo Doughnuts...a topiary voodoo doll, being stabbed with life size pins

Coffin bench inside the restaurant

Tyler with his mini m&m topped doughnut

Ryley with his "voodoo" doughnut

Seating was eclectic in the shop....including elementary school desks. Sarah went for the mini m&m doughnut

Brandon's doughnut was topped with Captain Crunch cereal

Ryan's doughnut had chocolate frosting and tons of chopped Oreo cookies

Tori's had white frosting with Oreo cookies

Matt had Captain Crunch as well

I had the ninja turtle doughnut

A game to remember......

In case you didn't read the post prior to this one, on Monday night, one of Ryan's basketball teammate's father was in a car accident and lost his life. The coach planned on cancelling the boys' game on Wednesday, but Ryan's teammate insisted that he wanted to play.

Matt thought it would be a good idea to have all the boys wear matching arm bands in honor of Don Shirrel, and after speaking with the coach, it was decided that "red" should be the color in honor of Molalla Fire Department where Don was a volunteer firefighter.

I have to share that I called Big 5 Sporting Goods in Milwaukie, Oregon and told them that I needed 30 arm bands (parents, coaches, team members) in red, and the reason. The store manager immediately offered a 40% discount, located the quantity of arm bands I need in Portland and Vancouver, Washington and had them at his store in Milwaukie within 12 hours of my call. I am so thankful for his thoughtfulness, and generosity!

Coach handing out the arm bands to the team and explaining what they symbolize.

Ryan during the game.

Boys on the sidelines

Playing ball.....

After the game, the opposing team lined up with our team.

The other team, knowing about our teammate's father had been wearing black arm bands.

After the game, they greeted our players, removed their black arm bands and gave them to our boys.

After the exchange.............

Molalla Fire Department (who came to watch the game), along with the teams!!!

Heaven gets a hero.........

We are deeply saddened by the news that Ryan's basketball teammate's father lost his life last night in an auto accident.

Photo below is a media photo of heaven's new hero (far right), at work, saving a family from their flooded home.

It is the year of painting.....

With the economy the way it is, we decided this is going to be the year of painting the house. It will give us the biggest bang for the buck, and still feel like we are upgrading the house!

Yesterday I painted the laundry room, while the kids had the day off of school for Presidents day and they could help entertain Sarah!

Before photo!

Before photo!

After photo........I painted the room the color "latte`" from Devine Paints.

Sarah says the room looks like hot chocolate, Tori says it looks like gooey chocolate candy.

Special Valentines Delivery

Yesterday our neighbors surprised us with a handmade valentine and a box of chocolates! Sarah was so excited, she wanted to deliver her own Valentines. So, this morning we made strawberry cupcakes and decorated them, and took them to neighbors.

Sarah with one of the plates she delivered!

Now, the funny part of the story. I have two good friends that I get together with often for coffee or lunch and Sarah wanted to deliver cupcakes to them as well. We went to the first house, and she wasn't home. We went to the second house...she wasn't there either. So, as Sarah is walking down from the doorstep she says to me "Well, looks like we'll have to eat them".
So, once we arrived home, we sat and ate the cupcakes and enjoyed them immensely.

Later, one of my friends asked if we had come to the door. She had heard her dog barking , but she was in the shower. I said to Sarah "Miss Kristey wants to know where her cupcake is?" Sarah replies with "Oh".....then a few seconds later "Well, I just ate it for her!" It is SO good to be 3 years old!

Celebrating Matt's birthday!

Today was Matt's 40th birthday and he wanted to celebrate low key. Family only, no party, no cake (he prefers just ice cream) and nothing "over the top".

He started off the morning in a ping pong tournament with the kids!

Then Matt and I headed out to the theater to watch the movie "Taken". It was action packed and we both loved it!

Then it was off to lunch at Claim Jumper!!!

Next on the agenda was Ryan's basketball game in Lake Oswego!

Afterwards Matt, Ryan and I kicked back at Starbucks for a bit!

What a great day!!!!

Out and about on a sunny 60 degree day!!!

I'm trying to do better on keeping up the blog ! Yesterday the sun came out and it was a gorgeous, cloudless day! We can't wait for the sun to shine on a regular basis.

In the morning we went to Ryan's basketball game...enough said...we won't give the details, other than to say we are SURE his team will have a huge comeback at Sunday's game!

In the afternoon we went to California Pizza Kitchen for lunch (thanks for the gift card Mom and Dad). The kids loved the brick oven that the pizzas were cooked it (we need one of those)!

Tori with her Sundae!

Ryan with his sundae!

Sarah with her sundae!

Tyler with his Sundae!And Matt gets "the bill"!


Brandon wouldn't let me take a photo of him with his sundae at the restaurant...at 13 he is much to cool to have mom shooting photos of him. I was however allowed to take a photo of him in the van after we went to Costco and bought shelving for our garage!All 8 of us spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning out the garage and putting up our "industrial strength shelving units!!! The kids now have a place for everything and then some!

The twins Honor Roll breakfast!

The last week of January, the boys' middle school hosted a breakfast for the families of honor roll students. Brandon's breakfast was on a Tuesday and Matt went with him (no camera...oops).

On Thursday, Sarah, Tyler and I went with the twins to their breakfast (the school is divided into 3 wings, and they had each wing celebrate on a different day of the week).

Ryan and Ryley with their certificates!

I wish I could tag the photo to make them easier to find in this group photo. Ryan is front and center, black sweatshirt between a boy in red and girl in white. Ryley is in the middle row, far right, holding up his certificate for my photo!

Celebrating on Inauguration Day!

We celebrated on the evening of January 20th (Inauguration Day) as a family
and deemed the day "No More Bush" Day!!!

The first bottle of Champagne we have ever purchased!!!

Cheers to "No more Bush" (Ryan was at basketball practice and had to celebrate with us over dessert!!!)