"thanks friend..................."

That is just what I needed..............................................A lovely invite to go to the Vault and have a glass of wine and some appetizers.
On a Thursday night. Outside..............with some fresh air.
When I have had a crummy week. (and people are rude! and mean!) And I have been working too much and am overbooked (I'm sure that classifies me as a "slacker". hahhaaaaaa
Your timing was perfect and I had such a great time!
Good food and the best company (and your hair looked awesome! Loved the flower.)
(Donna, next time you are coming!!!! We missed you!)We enjoyed fondue, fish tacos and sweet potato fries! (and 2 glasses of Muscato, YUM)
We had a wonderful visit, relaxed, enjoyed the short bursts of sunshine and went to the shoe store to look/try on shoes after! Perfect evening!
Can't wait for our little summer parties that we talked about! And for some sunshine!
Thanks friend...............................

"last day of school........."

5th grade promotion.
The last two weeks of this school year was so slow!!! I couldn't wait for it to get here!
But hard to believe Tyler is now moving on the middle school next year.
Today is the last day of school.
The last day ever at elementary school.
The last time I will drop him off in front of Central.
The last recess (no recess in middle school!)
The last time we see bus 77 in front of us everyday.
The last wave from Sophia from the playground when I drive away in the morning.
The last of the field trips and class parties that I get to participate in.

Tyler getting his diploma with his teacher Mr. G.

Last time we will be here waiting to pick Tyler up from elementary school.

It's kind of exciting, yet kind of sad that this chapter is coming to an end.

It's not like he is never going to school again, but just the innocence of elementary school is over. He is getting so tall, and talking about girls (yikes!!!!) I would love to blog the conversation we had last night, but he would kill me! (It involved asking a girl out!!!! WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Middle school is a whole other beast. Socially, acedemically, maturing and making different choices. Grade school is over and we have been-there-done-that........and now we move on!

"Tyler's 5th grade party.........."

End of the year party!Bowling and mini-golf! The kids were wound up and excited. It was only Tyler's 5th grade class.

They were hyper to begin with.........but once the lights went off and music cranked up..........OMG........these kids went crazy! Funny crazy. I just sat back and observed. At this age (11ish) it's the pivotal age of interaction with girls and boys. Subtle flirting. Alot of the girls are taller than the boys. The boys oblivious to the (not so) subtle flirting from the girls. Girls nervously following the pack of girls flirting with the boys. Singing and dancing to the loud music.

Watching my son from a distance was hilarious. He was dancing, or moonwalking across the entire lanes of the bowling alley (we had the entire bowling alley to ourselves!) Not caring who was watching. Being crazy with his friends. Laughing at his bad bowling skills. He may (or may not) have been aware of all the girls watching him because was being quite charming....ha!

So my motley crue got a game of bowling in and then wanted to go out and play mini-golf.

Once we got out there, it had started to sprinkle. All the other groups had gone back in to bowl and we were the only ones out there. It started off normal.............................

And they started getting sillier, and sillier and the shinnanighans began!

Poor sweet girl with all these rowdy boys. (I had a great group!)

I'm sure this is the proper way to putt???????

I had to be alert and aware because the balls were flying off rocks, going into the water, going onto other holes, these kids were crazy.

But GREAT time had by all. That was on the the funnest field trips I have gone on with one of my kids. Next week is the last week of school. Elementary school and field trips I get to attend are over forever.....kinda makes me sad. Tyler is on to middle school next year! Yikes.........Nicole finally got her metal for her 1st place 5k we did at Cheadle Lake..........

And my sweet friend Kela supplied a beautiful arrangement of dogwood blooms for my kitchen table. Thanks friend...........

Yesterday Nicole had a basketball tourney in West Linn that lasted all day. We left at 8:00 am and got home last night at 8:00 pm.......That was a long day. No pics. Just a sore bottom from sitting in bleachers all day!!!! Wish I could relax today, but we need to clean house and I need to get supplies for work. No rest for the wary.....

"Foster Lake 5k....(part 1 of my weekend)"

Let's start off Saturday morning with a 5k!
(we just sign our kids up and tell them we paid for it and they are going with us! hahaaa) Foster Lake Dam Run 2011.

Nicole and Drake are official running buddies (even tho Nicole says SHE slows HIM down. he is a fast little man.)

What a beautiful morning. Sun was out and warm!

We got to my sisters house in Lebanon at 8:00 am and headed up the Sweet Home/Foster Lake.

We had to walk about 3 miles (maybe a little exaggerated....) to get to registration and then walk across the dam to get to the starting line? So we decided this was our "glory shot" running....(the race hadn't even started yet!) hahahaaaaaaaaa

I wasn't sure what our route was yet.............a little nervous........

And taking pics along the way incase we didn't make it. hahaaa......and got a pic of my sis playing with her butt. Pictures don't lie............I told you I was going to post this one! (I think the sillier the pic, the better........shinnanaghans!)

We waited around an extra half hour for the race to start! Was getting hot! And we were already tired. I didn't eat a proper breakfast (10 almonds and a 1/2 cup of coffee didn't quite cut it). And we are off...............Ummmmmmmmm....no one told me their was a hill???? The kids were in front of us (by quite a bit! Nicole in the green shirt and Drake in the red shirt). Going down is ok........but we will have to come back up!

This is where my sweet sister ditched me (on the uphill side). hahahahaahaa........

I think she kept this pace up for the rest of the race............nice knowing ya! (really, it's ok)

The kids made it back up the hill..........I wasn't so thrilled about it (but then today I went on a 10 mile bike ride....what am I thinking??)

We all beat are times from the last 5k! yay!

And we saw Brandi there too!!!!!

We did it!!!!!! Another 5k under our belt!!!!! Good job sista!

And my awesome daughter got 2nd place and a metal for her age division! (last 5k she got 1st place!)Good job Nicole! So fun that we can do this together and you are such a stud, you are collecting metals!

And we are headed to the Strawberry Parade in Lebanon and all decided to wear our numbers all day (cause we are cool like that) and Nicole should wear her metal all day too...........

"part 2................Strawberry Parade!"

So we made it back into town to watch the Strawberry Parade in Lebanon. After all, most of our family was in it at some point.
I only had to move 2 baracades (good spot Donna!) to get us into a parking spot.
We decided to leave our numbers on and Nicole should wear her metal.............all day....... We found all kinds of random family members! (I guess my brother-in-law isn't too random of a person!)

We were tired and hot and hungry and finally kicked some kids off the curb so we could sit down...and wait...........and wait...........and wait. Are you sure we are at the right parade? We haven't seen any of our family!!!!!!

Still waiting...........but I love these old guys in the crazy cars..............

Oh.....................finally!!!!!!! We spotted the pink tractor (my aunt Sherri is driving.......and it really is HER tractor.........really...............)

And there is my Aunt Michelle! Oh......and my mom.......(carrying a baby??) Who's freakin' baby is that? (later we asked her if it was a real baby or a fake baby................Baby was real.)

And there is my son Tyler!!!! He "heely-ed" the entire parade route. Passed out candy and had a blast.

Really........who owns a pink tractor????? (who owns a tractor?) Only someone in my family. Sherri looked cute up there!

And my cousin Angela.........she looks like she is at a rock concert! (actually the float /tractor etc was thru the Lebanon Hospital Birthing center where she works....). ROCK ON!

More waiting and we finally see my nephew Gunner!!! Yay Gunner!!!!! He had quite the fan club when his float went by (us of coarse!)..........and I noticed something when I looked back at this picture.....There are only 2 guys on this entire float (FFA) with a bunch of girls? Yay Gunner!!!

I'm going to blame his fashion sense on his father........

The hat came in handy later at the mexican restaurant...........and the shinannighans continue...

We were so hot and tired and thirsty...................we all went out to eat (and have margaritas)..................

And I really don't even know what to say about this picture...........................

I will just leave it at that..............

We had a fabulous day. Saw so much of our family and whooped it up. And got to spend time with the kids..........good times.