Blazers Game!

Saturday night we went to the Blazers Game at the Rose Garden. Our friends the Zundels gave us their tickets since they were out of town. We gave them to Mason and told him that both Jon and I were going with him and he could pick one other person to come. He decided to invite Grandma Jackson since she is also a fellow Trailblazer Fan.

We had a great time cheering on the team! We are finally official since we now have Trailblazer shirts!

After the game some guy gave Jon some passes to see some of the players leave. Mason was able to get autographs from Rudy Fernandez:

Channing Frye, Nicolas Batum and Martell Webster!

During the last minute of the game the Blazers scored their final basket to make it exactly 100 points! That means free Chalupas at Taco Bell. The crowd was chanting Chalupa, Chalupa! We made a stop at the Border on the way home and ate our free Chalupas at 11:30 pm! It was a fun night!! Thanks Zundels for the tickets!

Brinley's Birthday!

Brinley's Birthday was last Sunday. We started the day with breakfast in bed. (This made getting to church by 9 am even harder!)

After church we had the Lakes over since their Mom was in Arizona. Brinley had fun playing with her BFF Kennedy Lake.

Kennedy was able to stay over late that evening to watch a movie and have cake with us since there was no school the next day! Morgan helped make the gumball cake. Brinley was so excited to eat all the gumballs on her cake and in the Bubblegum Ice Cream!

For months Brinley has been asking me to enroll her in a gymnastics class. So for her birthday I finally decided to sign her up! Here she is doing the splits in the new gymnastics outfit we gave her.

It was a fun day for Brinley! It seems like these years are just flying by and I can't believe she is already six. This week she has been talking a lot about how old she is and that she's practically eight! I keep reminding her that she is still little and to quit growing up so fast!

I'm Big Now!

For months Madelyn has been talking about how she is a "Big Girl Now!" So this morning when she stood up tall with hands next to her side and said " Look Mom, I'm Big Now!" I couldn't resist taking a picture!

I think she has been saying this so much because I'm always telling her to still be my Baby! She then proceeds to tell me "No mom, I'm a Big Girl!" She is so sweet I just want her to stay little forever! I know this is not possible but I am just loving the stage she's in right now! She loves going to preschool and is finally talking to her teachers! (I'm not sure about the singing in Big Room though!) She is obsessed with the Grinch right now, watches the movie daily, and has seen it so much that she has started to memorize the lines! She was very excited to go to Primary (Sunbeams) last Sunday just like Brinley! She daily tries to talk her way out of taking a nap telling me "Mom since I'm big now I don't have to take a nap!" She loves her roommate and wants to do everything and anything with Brinley. She still love frogs and her purple fluff that she practically stole from Morgan! Every morning she wants me to carry her down the stairs while wrapped like a "taco" in her purple fluff. We love our "Big Girl" but she will always be my BABY!

(p.s. Sorry if some of you are about to gag over this post but this is mostly just for me so I won't forget!!!)

New Year's Eve!

While I was in Colorado Jon decided to invite people over to our house for a New Year's Eve Party! I was fine with this but I said "What are we going to do?" We had a fun time with all of our friends and the 21 kids that were here! We played games at the kitchen table:

Watched movies that were projected onto the ceiling:
Nerf Gun Tag (This quickly became an outside game)
And lots of Guitar Hero:
And More:

And more! JR and Christy were the champs!

Thanks to the Dustins, McKague's, Sork's, and Zundel's for making it a fun night!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!!!

Christmas in CO!

Once everyone arrived safely in Colorado for Christmas we were very excited! My brother got delayed by a day due to the snow in Portland even though he lives in SLC. We had a packed Christmas Eve planned. We went Ice Skating:

The kids had a blast and little Brinley was a natural! We made Christmas cookies but didn't have enough time to decorate them until after Christmas and several of the kids reminded us that we needed to still set them out for Santa since we forgot on xmas Eve! We reenacted the Nativity which is a tradition that I grew up with. Here are the Angels: The Shephard's: And one of the sheep! We were able to connect with our friends the Barnettes who now live in the Denver area. They joined us for dinner and yummy scones made by Jon and Big Al! We ended our evening with the opening of one present! My brother and Brinley with her new robe that she has been asking for since summer time! (She really wanted a Strawberry Shortcake robe! I kept on telling her that maybe Santa couldn't find her a SS robe, she then said to me "Mom the elves can make anything!") Christmas morning was chaos with 18 people, stockings, presents, and all the paper! The kids enjoyed all their presents! Maddie loved her Dress ups and her cousins Make-up. Brooklyn was excited for her Thermos and matching outfit with Bailey: Mason's PSP was a hot item and dad liked it just as much as Mas! Brinley with Kit Kittredge:

And Morgan grew up right before our eyes once she received her phone! She has enjoyed talking on the phone but mostly texting friends, cousins, and even ME!

The days after Christmas were spent playing with all our new toys, hanging out with cousins, going out to lunch, after Christmas shopping, and late night Settlers. We also wanted to take a picture of all the girls in these aprons that Mom had made for us! She made them for every girl in the family even baby Addie! This was one of my favorite gifts!

On Sunday we barely made it on our flight getting out of DIA. It was very crazy with seven people, thirteen pieces of luggage, and carry ons! I wish I would have gotten a picture because everyone was staring at us !!! The kids did great on the flight even Brinley and Maddie!

What a wonderful and fun Christmas! Thanks Mom and Dad!

I'll be home for Christmas!

For months I have been so excited to go home for Christmas! I have been looking forward to being with my entire family, having a white Christmas, and just being at home!

Since we have been in Colorado at Grandma's house we have been doing some fun activities like making snow angels:

Sending our letter to Santa:And celebrating Mason's Birthday by going to a movie and sledding:As we were playing here the rest of my family was stuck in Washington. There was so much snow in Vancouver that Jon and Morgan could not fly here on schedule. School, work, and even church were cancelled! As Jon kept on giving me updates about the weather in Vancouver I thought that for sure the snow would be gone by the next day but it just kept on snowing! I was getting mad because we didn't have very much snow here in CO, my family couldn't fly out, and I was missing the biggest snow storm to hit WA in 40 years! (Anyone that knows me well knows that I LOVE the snow) I then became worried that they were not going to make it here as I kept on seeing cancelled flights each day! Morgan was bawling and Jon was trying to deal with a bawling 13 year old. So when they called me I just added to Jon's stress and started crying also! But we are all here together now! As Morgan was crying to me on the phone she said something profound and I quote "I don't care about the presents and stockings I just want to be with the family!" And I have to agree it doesn't matter about the gifts, the food, or the fact that there is more snow in WA than in CO! We are all here together safe and sound! Have a very Merry Christmas!

Oh The Weather Outside Is Frightful!

This is a picture from yesterday! The kids were very excited to see the snow! They were dying to get their winter gear on (BTW I had it already packed and ready to go to CO but busted it out for the occasion) and be outside! They loved sipping on their hot coco outside until they decided that 24 degrees is COLD! It was not hard to convince Mason to wear all his snow gear this morning as he headed out the door for safety patrol. This is good preparation for Denver because it's not suppose to get above freezing the entire week here in Vancouver! It could even set a record for the longest number of days below freezing! Bring on those cute scarfs and hats!

Checking Off the List #2!

The Hustle and Bustle continue during this time of year! I can now check a few more things off my list.

-Celebrate Mason's Birthday-Sort of! His birthday is not for another two weeks but we did take him out for his special Birthday Date with just Jon and I. He's been dying to go to our new Olive Garden. The food was great but the service was Terrible! We will officially celebrate his bday on his actual birthday December 22 with favorite breakfast, dinner, and presents!

-Ward Christmas Party- Our party theme was "The Polar Express" Stacey outdid herself once again! It was really fun! We all wore our PJ's which I loved! (I gave the kids their xmas jammies early so they could wear them to the party) We each got a ticket when we walked in and got that ticket punched when we were served our Hot Chocolate! (I forgot to take a a pic of the conductor but he looked awesome) Breakfast was served for dinner, the kids made candy trains, we sang Christmas Carols, and then the kids all left with their "Believe Bells."

-Attend the Union High School Football Game!-This was a new event that was not on my original list. I decided to go to the state championship game last Saturday with Mason!

This is a brand new HS in our area and it is only their second year of existence! So this was a HUGE deal for them to already be in the final playoff game for the State Title. Unfortunately we lost making their record 13-1. Many fans, parents, and players were sad but felt grateful to have gotten so far! I went to the game with several friends from our ward! I called it the party bus because it was filled up with lots of fun people having a great time together! We still love the Titans and are proud of their accomplishments!

-Attend a Piano Recital-We enjoyed listening to M&M(and others) play their Christmas piano pieces last night. They both did great and I'm proud of them. I am so grateful to my friend Christy who has taken them as their piano students this year! She has seriously taken a huge stress out of my life by having them. The past two years with their other teacher have been crazy because the only time she could have my kids is on Wednesday! We would go from Dance Team, to Piano, to YW with no breaks! But now Morgan can ride her bike to Christy's home for lessons and she even comes to MY HOUSE early before school to teach Mason! How great is that! The kids have loved their new teacher and are doing well! Thanks again Christy we love you!

Checking Off the List!

With only two weeks left before we leave for Colorado I am feeling the pressure of the holidays. We are VERY excited to see G & G Baldwin for Christmas and hope that Mother Nature will make my kids soooooo happy by delivering some winter wonderness!!! I have been working hard at my "to do" list and have accomplished many things!

-Thanksgiving Holiday

-Decorate for Christmas-CHECK!

-Entertain Kids During Thanksgiving Break-CHECK! Went to the movie Bolt, Swimming, Hot Tubing @ G'mas, Playing Games.

-Finish Christmas Shopping -Working on it Still!

-Attend the Fred Meyer Sock Sale at 5am on Black Friday- Had a great time with Morgan! As we were driving home she said "Mom how much money did we spend today?" I replied, "I'm not sure yet but don't tell your DAD!"

-Watch the Twilight Movie-CHECK! LOVED IT!!!

-Address/Mail Christmas Cards-CHECK! Mailed by December 1.

-Make and Deliver Friend & Neighbor Gifts-CHECK! Jon and I worked really hard on Saturday to make several batches of the famous Whitcomb Carmel Corn. We then had our little elves deliver them to friends and neighbors! Many people were surprised to be getting gifts so early in the season but with Jon leaving for CA, and then us leaving so early for CO it was last weekend or never!

-Host a YM/YW Fireside-CHECK!

-Take Jon to & from the airport for a business trip to CA-Tomorrow morning at 5 AM!

-Make Christmas Jammies-CHECK! I took Christy's advice (Thanks KiKi) and bought really cute jammies at Old Navy on Black Friday!

-Finish buying snow gear for CO-CHECK!

-Figure Out Teacher Gifts-CHECK! Delivered already!

-Attend Two Wedding Receptions-CHECK! Only made it to one!

-Finish a Holiday Craft-CHECK! (x2) I actually made another one for my sister-in-law for her birthday that's tomorrow!(This is the only new item that I will be adding to my Christmas Decorations this year)

-Attend Pie Night-CHECK! One of my favorite nights of the year!

The next two weeks will be a whirlwind of activities. If I can just finish the rest of that list we will have a fun and relaxing Christmas!