Going on a tree hunt

It is officially "Christmas Season" in the Tishendorf house, so this morning after Ryan's basketball practice we headed out to 3 Bears Tree Farm in Aurora to find the perfect tree!!!

Statue at the entry of the farm...

Going on the tree hunt.....

Had a bright idea...."Hey, everyone look at me (and straight into the sun), so I can get a great Xmas photo"....oops.....

Ryan, Ryley and Brandon

Matt was under the tree sawing away (everyone got a turn, accept today's photographer...hee hee).  Tyler, Tori and Ryan came to the rescue as the tree began tipping...

Thank goodness we have so many kids or we would never have made it to the car!!!

Matt challenged the family to the left of us to a "tree race"......they won!

The tree on top of the Subaru.....we only had to stop once, when it began sliding off to the passenger side on the way home.  Thus the reason for taking 2 cars.....they needed a spotter!

In the afternoon Matt and I took a trip to Cascade Station along the Columbia River in Portland to get some tree trimming supplies!!!  The trees on the river are GORGEOUS along the river!!!

A photo looking east....

This evening we brought the tree in.....

We cranked Pandora.com for Xmas tunes and trimmed the tree!

Our finished tree...which will be a work in progress until Christmas. 

Then it was time to try and take some photos for our Christmas cards.....One of our outtakes....

.....and another outtake

And another.....if the doggone kids would stop laughing and telling jokes it would make this photo project much easier!!!  Of course, we aren't posting our actual photo...you'll have to wait for your Christmas card to arrive!!!

One of our favorites.....Sarah and Tori.....It is so good to have a sister!!!!

Lots to be thankful for.....

We have SO much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving....most importantly that we are all healthy, and happy and all together on this holiday!!!   This year Thanksgiving included a HUGE surprise....when I rolled out of bed in the morning, and walked into the kitchen I found Tori at the counter finishing up the deviled eggs, and Brandon putting the turkey in the oven!!!  That is right......my 11 year old and 13 year old had taken over the kitchen.  Brandon had already prepped our favorite appetizer "heart attacks on a stick"  (bacon wrapped cocktail wieners covered in a thick layer of brown sugar) and he was getting ready to put together the 7 layer dip!!  So, what did they need me to do I asked.  NOTHING!!!  I was told to take the day off, relax, enjoy a book and a bubble bath and they would handle EVERYTHING!!  They weren't kidding...we'd planned the menu earlier in the week and I'd done the shopping, so they literally cooked everything.  After dinner, Tori got to work on desserts....she made brownies, white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies and candied cherry fudge!!!  It was ALL delicious and truly the best Thanksgiving to date! 

Under the Moonlight

It is our FAVORITE time of the year in the Pacific Northwest!!! It is chilly outside, the rains have arrived, and that means there is a constant fire in the fireplace and always something yummy on the stove or in the oven!!!

I was awaken this morning by a windstorm with pouring horizontal rain hitting my bedroom window .... which sounded more like objects being thrown non-stop with an attempt to break into our home. I was smart and snuggled down deeper into my covers..... because it is Sunday, and Sunday IS my favorite day for sleeping in. (Actually, I love sleeping in EVERY day...and being as I live a life of leisure....well, it is something I do on a regular basis. But, enough about me!)

The highlight of today was SURPRISINGLY NOT Matt's and my grocery shopping trip in preparation for Thanksgiving -- Why is it we can fill 1 cart with groceries, get to the checkstand and need 2 carts to take it out of the store???? (Have I mentioned it is FABULOUS FOOD season???) The actual highlight was our (Matt, Tori, Brandon and I) trip to the local Cinema to see NEW MOON!!! Yes, the 4 of us have read the Twilight series and are diehard fans!!!

Bella, Edward and Jacob

Edward...the Vampire.  Unfortunately nobody in the family is on Team Edward anymore.  In fact, when Edward came on the screen shirtless....Tori said "Ewwwww". 

Tori is now officially on Team Jacob.  She is a giddy, non-stop giggling middle school er since seeing the movie.  It is SO good being 11 years old, and in love with a werewolf....Who knew????

As for me....Well, I am on Team Mike....  That's right.  I'm cheering for the guy that the werewolf referred to as "a marshmallow".  And, yes, I know how the series ends....but someone has to root for the underdog (no pun intended).

League Champions!!!

Last weekend, Ryan's Junior Varsity (7th and 8th grade) Football team took 1st place in the playoffs!!!

The team watching the game prior to theirs....waiting for their chance to become Champions!!!

The team getting ready to start!

After receiving their medals...Ryan is #23

The team and their head coach

Ryan with the team trophy!

It feels good being on a champion team!

Matt (who was one of the many assistant coaches on the team) and Ryan -- Great memories!!!

Wall art......

So, what happens in the Tishendorf household, when I pay bills, and then leave the stamps on the kitchen counter?????   Apparently, in a 4 year old's world.....They become wall art!!!  Who knew?????

Look what we found!!!!

So, Tori decided to bring in our skeleton from the front yard and as she brought it into the entryway, she found this spider!!!!  Yes it is a real spider!!!!!  She screamed...............

..............went running across the room and jumped up on Matt's shoulders!!!   (Just kidding....this is actually a photo of her using Matt as a jungle the gym the other day!)  In reality ....she did SCREAM then run to her brothers and asked them to help her get the spider.  Which, of course, then I had to go and see the spider...and then get the camera....and then kindly dispose of the spider outside...being sure not to injure the rare orange thing and let it get back to nature.  Of course, about 20 minutes later I went out the front door to put out the recycling and apparently the spider wasn't a fast little guy and sadly didn't make it out of the way of my shoe.  Oops!

Movie theater deprived.......

So, what happens when you live in a town for 5 years and they FINALLY open a movie theater????????

Well, of course you head there opening weekend.....and ooooohhhhh and ahhhhhhhhh about the building and their "green parking lot"...............

And then you take the WHOLE family (thanks to Halloween money from Omie and Grandma/Grandpa) to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs in 3D --- Which was funny and the kids LOVED IT!!!

Then, that evening.....Matt and I went back to watch Couple's Retreat!!!!  Which we found to be HEEEELARIOUS!!!!!!!!

Filming the news.....

A week or two ago, Sarah and I spent the day shopping in Clackamas and on our way home we stopped in Milwaukie at Bob's Red Mill for lunch.  While we were having lunch at our table, the news crew showed up to film a cooking segment for KOIN News Channel 6!!! 

The gentleman to the left with the red vest  is "Bob" the owner of the Mill!!!

After we were done with lunch we stopped to pick up some oatmeal (note here, if you haven't tried their strawberry or blueberry oatmeal.....stop what you are doing...go to the store...and stock up!!! ) Sarah saw Bob walking around and asked why his photos were on ALL of the boxes and packages?  Then she asked if she could have her photo taken with him.  I think her thought process went along the lines of......if I have my photo with him, then MY photo will be on the boxes!!!  Of course, Bob said sure and then treated her to a HUGE fresh baked cookie from his restaurant!!!

Halloween 2009

Halloween 2009!!!  The only trick or treaters left in our house are Sarah and Tyler!!!!

Sarah dressed up as a Fairy from the Tinkerbell Movie and Tyler as the "Grim Reaper"

Every Fairy has wings!!!!!

Sarah on our front porch with our "werewolf greeter"

It was Matt's year to take the kids through the neighborhood trick or treating.  So, while he was out and about, Ryan and Tori took turns handing out candy, and I spent the evening in the kitchen baking cookies for the kids to decorate when they were done visiting our neighbors!!! 

Check off another successful Halloween in the Tishendorf household!!!!

Carving up a good time.....

On Wednesday the kids carved up their pumpkins (note here....Brandon deemed it not cool to pick out a pumpkin at the patch this year....and didn't partake in the pumpkin carving :(  The teen years have arrived.

Carving away!!!!

Sarah and Ryley

The Ry-Man

Tyler and Tori

Sarah with her happy pumpkin!

Tori went for a scary pumpkin....

Ryley opted to let our Halloween guests know they should "BEWARE"

Ryan --  Who attempted a Portland Trailblazer symbol.....gave up after a while and opted for a quick face.

For some reason I am not finding a photo of Tyler's Frankenstein pumpkin....Instead, I'm posting a photo of him.....all ready to head out to a costume party at a friend's house Friday night!!!!!!