Busy Time of Year

The last few weeks have been crazy busy for me. I was in charge of planning our ward Christmas party, getting ready for a ROADTRIP to Minnesota this week, going to Dr. appointments for myself and the kids, finishing up the gift purchasing, and all the while feeling sick to my stomach and extremely tired. Yep, I am pregnant. It really does complicate things. I just feel like laying around or sleeping, but there is so much to do.

Our ward party went really well. Even with a few setbacks, we pulled it off. We had plenty of food for everyone, and the kids' crafts went really well. We've had great feedback so far, so thank you to everyone who helped bring food, or with cooking, or with just coming and supporting us.

Tonight we went to a small family pre-Christmas get together. It was complete with turkey and potatoes. It was fun to exchange gifts with some of the people that we won't get to see on Christmas day, but it made it all very real. Christmas is not very far away! It will be here before we know it!

This week we have one other Christmas party, but other than that we will be preparing for our super long roadtrip. I will probably be taking another break from the blog until we are back. I'm just so glad to no longer be a stressball.

To all of our friends; we wish you a very Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! We are sad that we won't be around for fun get togethers, but we look forward to many more next year.

Happy Anniversary

On Monday we celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary! It's really hard to believe how fast time seems to fly by these days. It doesn't seem that long ago when we were just poor college students trying to eat, sleep, study, and work. The journey through has been so much fun! I wouldn't trade it for anything. Back then I wouldn't have been able to imagine where we are today: good jobs, a nice home, and 2 beautiful daughters. We have been blessed.
We had planned to celebrate by going out to dinner on Monday night. I even arranged a babysitter. To my surprise, when I woke up, Chris had left me a note telling me to pack my things and get the kids ready to spend the night at grandma's house! He also had bought me a pearl necklace, which I have been wanting. We had such a great time! We were able to do some shopping without the kids, we had a fancy dinner at OCI, and stayed downtown at the Hotel De Lux. We even went out for breakfast the next morning. I was really surprised! It was a great anniversary! Thanks sweetheart! You are the best, and I love you lots!

It's your party...

Turning 2 is pretty exciting, especially when all your family comes to your house to celebrate. It's even better when you are in baby doll heaven. A new stroller, baby carrier, bottles, diapers, dress up jewelery, Abby Caddaby, and a little people airplane were all very exciting. So much so, that mommy had to drag you back to open each present. You were just too excited to play with everything. Please forgive us for not cleaning the pizza sauce off of your face better for the pictures. You were just having so much fun! After opening all your new gifts, we had cake and ice cream. You even blew out your 2 candles all by yourself! You are getting so big now!

Trick or Treat!

On Halloween this year we decided to check out Grandma & Grandpa's Trunk or Treat activity. After attending our own last weekend, the girls knew what to do! They had a great time going trunk to trunk and filling their buckets. Grace really figured it out. She wasn't shy about walking up to people and sticking out her bucket. If they didn't respond fast enough, she would reach into their candy bowl, and take a handful. I was especially proud of her for choosing good chocolate options when given a choice. After the trunk or treat, there was a small carnival inside the Church where we decorated cookies, fished, and played games. Claire really liked making a bat that fit on her finger. Afterwards we hit up McDonalds for a quick dinner before heading out into the cold to a 2nd trunk or treat in the area! We were lazy bums...although I have to say it was really nice being able to walk around a couple parking lots for only a couple hours. The kids didn't freeze, and their buckets were loaded! We will be enjoying their spoils for the weeks to come.

Two Today!

It's hard to believe that Grace was born two years ago today! Time has gone by way too fast. She is no longer a baby. Each day she becomes more and more of a big kid. She no longer sits in her highchair, she is giving up her crib for a toddler bed, she uses a big girl cup without a lid, and she likes to "go potty". Even with all of these changes and some new displays of her independent spirit, she is still my sweet baby. Grace loves to cuddle, and will often want to sit on my lap wherever I am. I try to enjoy this as much as possible while I still can. She is such a sweet girl, and we are so lucky to have her in our family. Happy birthday Gracie Pants! We love you so much!

Pretty, Pretty Princesses

Last Saturday was our Ward Trunk or Treat activity. The weather was perfect! I couldn't have asked for better. The girls were really excited to dress up! I think the highlight for Claire was being able to wear makeup. She loved her purple eyeshadow and red lipstick! My girls are super girlie. A day does not go by without them begging me to do their nails. Even if we just did them yesterday, they want a fresh coat. It kinda cracks me up.

Anyway, back to our activity....we showed up early to decorate our trunk with spider web and glittery tinsel. The girls really liked putting on the orange and black spiders. Once we were decorated and ready, we waited for everyone else to show up. We had a great turnout! There were lots of people there, and most everyone made an effort to decorate their car a little bit. I really appreciated all the support! Thanks Farmington Ward!

Here are my pretty, pretty princesses

By the end of the activity we were all pretty chilly. The girls were happy to warm up in the van with their loot. Of course, Chris and I spent the rest of the evening "inspecting" their candy. Two little girls surely didn't need that much candy right? We made it a little more manageable for them. :) After all, Halloween isn't even here yet.

Pumpkins

Our pumpkin patch experience was a little different this year. We weren't able to go when everyone else went, during that great weather at the beginning of October, so we went on a random overcast Monday afternoon. We had the place to ourselves! It was a little less festive without the crowds or the yummy smelling kettle corn, but we still had fun. The kids loved the train! We managed to stay dry, and the patch itself wasn't too muddy. It was definatly a little late in the season to be going to the pumpkin patch because pickings were slim. Most of the pumpkins were rotten and/or broken. We were able to find a couple decent ones to bring home. It was an adventure, but I think next year we will go on a Saturday...at the beginning of October. :)

It's back to a schedule!

It's fall now, and that means back to school! Claire is going to a second year of preschool as she gets ready for kindergarten next fall. She loves it! I have really enjoyed having some one on one time with Grace. Here is Claire on her first day...
Claire is also participating in a gymnastics class this month. She signed up with one of her friends, and the two girls have had a blast! We bought her a leotard with sparkles, which I think has been a highlight for her. They are learning about balancing and doing cartwheels. Overall, I'm grateful to be back in a routine. The summer was great, but we were ready for a change. Claire is loving being her social self again!

Mommy's Birthday

It was my birthday yesterday, and I had a great day! My mom and sister took me out to lunch at Godfathers for a pizza buffet. Chris came home from work with flowers and a new book Extreme Measures, by Vince Flynn. I've loved all of his other books, so I'm excited to start this one! Thanks honey! Then we went out for dinner to Red Robin. The kids behaved, and it was pretty good. Afterwards, we were feeling adventurous, so we went bowling for the first time as a family. The kids had a blast! They were so excited to push the ball down the ramp that they have for small kids. We used the bumpers and we all had a great time. Although, I wasn't aware that the alley wouldn't have shoes for kids. I felt like a bad parent...I let Claire bowl in her flip flops. It's a good thing we survived with all of her toes intact. :) Thanks family, for a great birthday! I love you all!

Nike Maxim Awards

Last night Chris and I went to the 2009 Nike Maxim Award Ceremony for IT. It was a formal affair, so we got to get all dressed up. Chris and his colleagues were finalists for two of the awards. Here is us leaving the house....

The event was held at the Tiger Woods Building on the Nike Campus. First there was a cocktail hour, which we missed most of, and then the ceremony started in a large auditorium. They put on a good show! The awards were specially made black shoes with purple laces. They are pretty fancy.

That's right, Chris and his teams won not one but TWO of these Maxim Awards! Considering there are only 11 awards given out, and over 200 nominees, this was a great accomplishment! Good job honey, we are proud of you! (Too bad they aren't the right size) :)
After the awards were all given out, we were served a really great dinner of steak and salmon with spinach and potatoes. There was a live band serenading us throughout the dinner. Overall, it was a really fun evening! It was nice to have a fancy evening out away from the kids. Thanks to Grandma for babysitting!

Fun in the yard

Summer days are just about over. We have been trying to enjoy the heat while we can, knowing that next week the rain could start. On one such day, we opted to stay home and play outside with water. I spent a few dizzying minutes blowing up the kids' small inflatable pool, and then Claire helped fill it up. It was pretty nice to just sit in the shade and watch the girls have fun. They really love splashing around and just being in their swimsuits makes them hysterically hyper. I'm glad I finally said "yes" when asked to get out the pool. It really wasn't that much work...and the looks on their faces was priceless.

For the record....

So, it turned out that my fish was actually good to eat! We BBQ'd him up last Sunday, and it was super yummy! A little terriyaki sauce and brown sugar, thrown on the grill = tasty dinner. I just wanted the record set straight. My fish was high quality! Just as good as Bree's fish. :)

On a boat...

Yesterday, I went salmon fishing for probably the zillionth time in my life. Okay, so I probably haven't been that many times, but I have been on numerous trips looking to catch the elusive salmon. Each trip was wrought with disappointment. It was always the same. Get up at the crack of dawn, drive a million miles to the boat launch, endure waves, wind, rain, and the munchies, then fish for hours, load up and drive home again...with no fish to be had. Yesterday was different...

It all started pretty typical. The main difference was that we didn't leave the house until 2pm, which is a pleasant change from the early morning trips. Although, this did make me skeptical, I thought for sure we wouldn't get anything because we left so late in the day. The weather was also changing. For those of you non-fishertypes that is usually bad news for fishing. We were prepared with our GIANT rain suits. It was my dad, my younger sister, and I. We had enough junk food packed to last the whole weekend. The vanilla oreos were defiantly a hit!

This is us as we first got out on the water. Notice how we are dry and still in normal clothing.

About a half hour into fishing....it happened...the moment I had been waiting for all these years! My rod tip nose dived to the water. I leapt into action, grabbing the pole from its holder and yanking it back to "set the hook". With adrenaline pumping, I fought that fish to the death. It jumped out of the water about 3 times. I was a little shocked to see how big it was when it did that. I didn't think I'd have the strength to reel it in.

Getting closer...

Finally in the net! What a relief! At this point my arms are about to fall off. My hands feel blistered, but hey...I GOT A FISH!!! Whooohoooo! Totally worth it!

Alright, so then starts the interesting conversation....my dad says, "well we need to decide if we'll keep it or if you want to throw it back." I was like....uh.....duh...why would I want to throw it back? Apparently, it's what you would call a tooley (?spelling?)...meaning it was getting ready to spawn soon. That is what explains the redish color on it's belly. The only downside of this is that the meat is sometimes not as good to eat. After about 3 min. I decided to keep it....there was no way I was gonna throw back my first (and probably only) salmon ever. So we kept him! I'm still proud of my 2nd class fish. He was after all, 30 lbs!!!!

A couple of hours later, my sister Bree had a very similar experience. She fought her fish for quite some time. It took lots of line and we had to chase it down in the boat. Eventually, we got it into the net. About 28lbs! Another giant fish! Her fish, however, was first class. It was all silver and beautiful. It will be a good tasting fish. Can't wait to eat it!

My dad then decided he would gut the fishies out on the river to avoid bringing the mess home with us. So we had to take some pictures with them before they were all cut up. Here we are...trying desperately not to drop them. They were soooo heavy! Not to mention slimy and bloody too!

Overall, we had a great time out fishing with dad! It was definately an unforgettable trip!

Tillamook....again

We just loved our visit to Tillamook so much, that we decided to go back the next weekend. Our good friends the Wildes came from Utah to stay with us, and we wanted to show off the beautiful NW. We did things slightly different this time. We packed a picnic lunch to eat at the center, and the kids spent a long time hiking around the Wilson River with their dads. Afterwards, we of course hit up the cheese factory and even the beach at Oceanside. The weather cooperated and it was a pleasant 70 degrees on the coast. We had a great time with our friends!

Stinkin' Fun

Last weekend we decided to check out the annual Elephant Garlic Festival in North Plains. We had always wondered what exactly a garlic festival was...would it be decorated with garlic cloves? Would there be people dressed up in togas and hats that look like giant cloves? Would there be all sorts of food made with garlic, such as garlic ice cream? It turns out that all of these things were at the festival, although I would not recommend the ice cream. One bite of that gave us super stinky breath for the rest of the day! There were also inflatable toys for the kids, a playground, lots of fair type food, and of course tons and tons of garlic. Everyone who came to the festival left with a complimentary clove. The kids really liked having their faces painted. Apparently, it was a first for them. Claire thought her pink unicorn was pretty neat. All day she would ask, "is my unicorn still on my face?"

Although we enjoyed checking out the festival, we didn't stay very long...the garlic ice cream left a bad taste in our mouth. :) We left from there and headed to Tillamook for a "quick" ice cream and lunch of cheese and crackers. It was tons of fun because we went with Chris's parents, siblings, and his Aunt Angie and Uncle James. The Dias family also came along. We were quite the caravan. Afterwards we went to the Tillamook Forestry Center on the way back home. If you've never been there, I would highly recommend it. It is a pretty new center and has great exhibits about all the huge wildfires that completely destroyed the entire forest about 50 years ago. Everything we see today had to be replanted. There is a good movie about it, and we all learned some fun history. Out the back of the center is a bridge that goes over the Wilson River. You can walk across, or hike down to the bank. We spent time by the water throwing rocks in and just enjoying the beautiful day. It was quite the spontaneous day, but we had a blast!

County Fair

Who doesn't love a trip to the fair? How could you not enjoy the many booths full of cotton candy, elephant ears, funnel cakes, giant ice cream cones, and even deep fried Twinkies? Yes, the fair is the one place where eating all the junk food you can is not only acceptable, but encouraged. We did our part and indulged in a few of the above mentioned treats. Although it was still pretty hot outside, we had a pretty fun time last night. The kids had a fun time seeing all the animals, although Claire didn't really care for the smell. She walked through most of the barns holding her nose. :) Grace just loved seeing all the different kinds of "doggies". Although by the end of the night, she was calling all the animals "horsies" instead. At least we made a little progress.

One of the highlights was watching the pig races. They provided free betting, so we all chose a pig to win and got a corresponding colored ticket. Then we sat back and got ready to cheer on our pig. There were 2 races, and the "blue" pig won both times...the only one in the family with a blue ticket...Grace! She won a blue ribbon that said "my pig won". She wore it proudly around the fair (We had to put it on her back for her to keep it on).