"Eagle Crest........2011"

Our annual trip for Thanksgiving!
We have been coming to Eagle Crest for 14 years in a row. It's a family tradition.

We had a cabin this year instead of a condo and it was great but not quite the same as our usual and we weren't as close to the sports center and lodge. But we still had fun! (and had a hot tub!)And I got some great impromptu pics. We were waiting to go to dinner for Grandma Mary's birthday and of coarse I rounded everyone up for some pictures! The kids didn't even complain like they usually do! (maybe they did and I just chose to ignore it?! not sure, but got some great family pics anyways........someday they will appreciate it).

Thanksgiving morning we had some visitors! My dad and sister KayDee came by. They brought us a newspaper for black friday and ate breakfast and had coffee with us! Nice to see them. A lot of my extended family were staying at my Aunt Sherri's vacation home in Tollgate. We did a very untraditional Thanksgiving dinner this year. Surf and turf. Steak and shrimp, crusty bread and veggies. So good. I'm not a big fan of turkey or making that much food at one time, or all the dishes to clean up later. We kept it easy and delicious! My family was fine with that!

We didn't relax as much as I would have liked. Didn't read much at all. Not sure I got much sleep either. Too much to do! LeRoy would have like to chill out more..............but we had too much playing to do.........

Thanksgiving evening we loaded up and returned the visit to my dad and KayDee and the rest of my family at Tollgate for dessert and some family bonding..........we pull in the driveway and most of the girls (mom, Brandi, Meghann, Angela, Amber) were in the car ready to go shopping..........literally backing out of the driveway! What the heck?!?! We come all this way to visit and they are shopping on Thanksgiving? Whatever! My sister KayDee and Aunt Sherri stayed and were fun (and nice to stay!) Those mean girls left for 4 hours! So I ate pie and was crafty and bedazzled stuff with Emma.....they left all the boys and husbands too................we just annoyed them by being loud......Emma and I did fun crafts for 3 hours!! Colored, glued, rhinestoned anything we could find!

With all of our Eagle Crest adventures and traditions.........................Tyler loves the sports center.

Obsessed with it. Always wanting to go play video games, play pool, swim, raquetball, ping pong, air hockey!

So he played a few games of pool with his dad. All macho and all.........and then says "mom, I want to play you a game next". Thinking he would school me in pool.............ahahhaahhahaahaaaa....I think I surprised him and had some great shots that he called them all "luck". I won both games.

And our annual raquetball shinnanaghans.................. (it's our "thing")

Tyler has gotten better as the years go on. We laugh. And laugh. And laugh.

Especially when the ball hits the wall and bounces off and hits me in the back of the head. Tyler thinks that is especially funny. And when all the quarters in his pocket come flying out when he jumps for a ball. And when we miss a ball and almost fall over..................that's all kinda funny.............we don't have rules or keep track of points..............just fun..............

This kid makes me laugh................

No snow this year! We were kind of slackers in the work out department this year too. But we made up for it shopping. Not black friday shopping. Goodwill shopping!! Redmond and Bend had lots of treasures (I got lots of cute, new Christmas decor, will post later).

Got some good pics of the kids. Unplanned pictures are so much less stress!!

I love hanging out with the kids when I have them all to myself!

One night we met up with the rest of the crew/family in Bend to go bowling. OMG. What a crazy fun time. Especially when they turned off the lights for Cosmic bowl with the loud music. The kids had fun! (Nicole, Tyler, Colton)The motley bowling crew.............

Always shinnanaghans when Aunt KayDee and Brandi are around...................

The boys just can't keep up with us! Tyler looks like he hasn't slept in days......... ahahahahah

And we made our annual Walmart trip late at night..........(I don't think she would qualify for "the people of Walmart page") Went out for pizza. Mini golfed. Drove around. Looked at the lights. Went to Sherri's house in Tollgate. Came home on Sunday and decorated my entire house (except the tree!) for Christmas! I'm exhausted and need some rest!!!

"Cheadle Challenge............"

So my older sister Donna texts me last month and asks: "Do you want to do the Cheadle Challenge in November with me? It's like the Warrior Dash.....a 5k with obstacles..........like water, and mud and fire and other crazy stuff."

Me: "No thanks..........I'm good, but thanks for asking!!!"

Donna: "It will be FUN!"

Me: "No, still good............................." "And I don't want to be cleaning mud out of my ears and other places for the next week."

Donna: "Your are going to be jealous on race day when you aren't doing it with us."

Me: "Nope, I'm pretty sure I will be happy being a spectator!"

So her son Drake was gonna do it with her. Some scheduling conflict with football kept him from the "fun". So our sister-in-law Brandi stepped up and took his place. She was actually excited. Really excited. And these two decided to dress up crazy and wear tiaras. The fact that they both wore tiaras was exciting to me! My sister and I went to the Goodwill looking for something fun to wear. (see, I'm a team player! Helped with the shopping!) And I was a supportive sister and got up early on the day of the race (made Nicole get out of bed and go with me!) and went to Lebanon and took pictures and laughed at them.I stayed clean. And dry (thank goodness for no rain! but was freezing cold!). And wore my cute rain boots. And am still happy that they had pink fuzzy tiaras.................

We get to Cheadle Lake and me and Nicole and my younger sister KayDee scoped out the coarse. We figured we could get from one obstacle to another if we were fast and ran to beat them there. Ummmm.......did I mention I was wearing rubber rainboots? Not real easy to run in. But I made it and got some good pics of the girls being awesome.

But remind me again why this would be fun?I am proud of them for completing the entire race. And every single obstacle. Donna was nervous about the walls. She did great! Up and over!!!

Brandi kicked butt too..................She looks like spider-woman jumping over that wall...

We are the cheering section! We got bored waiting for them before they came to the big mountain of dirt. So we entertained ourselves. And took silly pics. I had fun hanging with my daughter and little sister...........

Random pics. I love to have other people cameras and when they look at the pics later they say "WTF?" ahahhahahaha.............

Remind me again why this would be fun?

It was a fun family bonding day! Got to hang out with some of my favorite girls. Donna and Brandi were stoked about the race. Good job girls!

The celebrated and had an afterparty in the parking lot. (lets just say schnapp's, 5k, all before noon............interesting!!!)And they are still wearing their tiaras!

Sisterly bonding.............

After they got all cleaned up (well kinda) we all went out for mexican food.

Fun saturday! (and I'm not sure why half of these photos had 11/11/11 on them and half had 11/12/11........it did kind seem like a long day!)

"Fall happenings....."

Well I have been quite a slacker when it comes to my blog lately. I haven't felt very creative or that we have been very exciting lately. Feel like I'm spinning my wheels and going no where....
But Halloween was fun!! Tyler was all over it this year. In years past, he hasn't been real thrilled with any of it. But he dressed up for school and wanted to trick or treat with his friends! Nicole bagged out on us and didn't come after all. So I told her I at least needed a pic for Halloween and she could just pretend to be "cousin IT" just for a picture! Job well done! Tyler went to school dressed like this. He is a cute, quirky kid...............love it.

We met up with our friends that live in West Albany. The Lynn's, The Huyckes and the Normans (and a few other randoms). (Thanks for the pic Jennifer!) What a fun time! LeRoy and I walked with them and all the dads. The kids had a blast and the night was clear and cold (no rain!) I think I had as much fun trick or treating as the kids. Just listening to them interact and run around and be hyper and the excitement when the "full size candy bar" was presented! That's a great neighborhood for full size bars! I think we counted 10. One of the best trick or treat adventures yet............I told Tyler this may be his last year. Middle school is pushing it, but they are all still kind of short so they got away with it! I still want to trick or treat.........

I seriously think he got 15 lbs of candy. No joke...........Good thing I don't like cheap halloween chocolate!! (except for snickers........) He really doesn't eat much candy, it was just fun getting it.

We didn't make it to the pumpkin patch this year....makes me sad..........Kids were too busy or it was raining. One Sunday it was nice weather and I was wanting to go. I asked the kids and their response was "mom, we have to much homework". Blah! I guess homework is more important that the pumpkin patch. Next year I'm going!! I will take my sister or a friend and just go anyways! Or find someone elses kids to adopt and do the little-kid-fun-stuff. That's one of the things I miss about my kids getting older.........some traditions are lost or just don't happen because they are older and busier........

Tyler is the funniest kid I know. And doesn't miss a beat. And is definately a hairdressers kid!

Here's how the conversation went.

Me: Tyler, you need a haircut. Maybe after school tomorrow your dad will bring you down to the salon and I can cut it.

Tyler: Ummmmm.......I'm not sure I want it cut.........maybe just texturized a little bit........and maybe a few hightlights on the top....

Me: (after I stop laughing at the shop lingo). Ok, I think I will make time to give you a few hightlights..........the chicks dig that..............

So here he is.............in all his foils and glory (anyone that reads this and see's him please DON'T tell him I put this on my blog, he was less than thrilled that I took pics. And especially wouldn't like that it was posted! He just wants to be subtle and cool and look like he's been surfing on the beach!) And it's ok that I'm turning him high maintence. He does after all live with me and Nicole. We are all about "all things pretty".

Really mom?! Do you have to take pictures???????????? REALLY????? But dang! What a cute handsome boy!!!!!!!!! Lookin good!

Speaking of hair..............if their is some new trend out there..............my daughter thinks she needs it! Tinsel is the new trend. Looks so cool with her blonde hair. (much cuter in real life than in the pic.) And when she was on homecoming I put it in with her extensions and it looked amazing (didn't show up at all in pics). I wish my mom would have been a hair stylist when I was in high school. Fun stuff!! She is lucky!

And I played hooky one day. Just took the day off. Cause I wanted too! And told no one!! Except my lovely friend Erin. I went to Corvallis to meet her at her work (OSU campus) and we went to lunch. Had awesome Vietnemese Sandwiches. Back to her work and had iced coffee and sat on the balcony and visited for hours! Watched everyone on campus (I'm getting old, alot of those kids aren't much older than Nicole). I want to do that every day! We had a great afternoon and a great visit. I'm just going to go hang out at her coffee shop all the time! Loved it!

And I'm obsessed with Honey Crisp apples. Literally probably eaten 50 lbs of them! My favorite fruit stand sells them for $.99 a pound!! I go there several times a week.

And try to get to Trader Joes every change I get! I just like to wander around. And buy healthy stuff.........

And soccer season is officially over! I enjoyed watching Nicole play. Most of the games were decent weather. Had a few in the rain and freezing cold!

It's November already. I'm not ready for the holidays. Mentally or financially! Been working and trying to stay on top of life! Spinning my wheels................