"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!!!

"bye, bye snow and vacation....."

We had so much snow at Eagle Crest this year. Tyler played in it the entire time we had it. He is out there with his little green sled.......... I followed him out one day to get some pictures........

He was grumpy about it.........

"MOM................NO PICTURES!!!!!!" Couldn't even get him to crack a smile.

Or sled..........or do anything without a growl and a snarl.............

I gave up and left him alone...........

Nicole on the other hand was excited to DRIVE in the snow and ice. She needs the experience and I guess she has to learn sometime. She did well.

And again............."Mom.................NO pictures!" Because she hadn't showered or gotten properly dressed. She didn't plan on getting out of the car. So of coarse I thought it was funny she was wearing shorts so I made her get out for a pic......

Bye, bye snow.............Back to reality and rain..............

"let the adventures begin!!"

Well.............it only took us 4 hours to get here last night!! Santiam Pass was pretty bad. Zero visibility. Blizzard conditions. 13 degrees.....but we made it safely. Thanks to everyone who I asked to pray for us to safely get here.........We got over the pass just before dark. I worked until 2 pm (thanks to my awesome clients who came in early and allowed me to leave a little earlier.) Chains were required. LeRoy bought some and we did end up having to use them. Of coarse we were on top of the mountain. Blizzard. Freezing. And my studly man had to get out and chain up the Tahoe. Nicole and I took this as an opportunity to take pictures. Hahahahaaa......we always find the weirdest time for photo opportunitys...........And it looks like she is standing in the middle of the road with cars coming. She is not!!! Just looks like it because you can't see any lines on the road. We were pulled off way to the side.......................I promise................

I always feel safe when my man is driving..........we both grew up feeling comfortable in the snow. My only concern was oncoming traffic. Luckily we didn't see much until we were headed down the other side of the mountain......

Starting to get dark. Can't even see the road..........

Tyler has been her since Sunday with grandma and grandpa. He is loving the snow. We have never had this much when we are here. And especially before Thanksgiving. LOVE IT!!!!!

We really should have been helping LeRoy chain up the car. But what could we have done? I did offer....... So we took pics instead. But we got soaked the 2 minutes we were out of the car because it was snowing so hard...........

(this is a random picture that has nothing to do with this post. hahaaa.....but I want to do these cute jars with candy this year for Christmas...............I'm on the hunt for red and white candy. Hard to find........)

My mom made Nicole this cute hat last year. She looks so adorable.

So I'm officially on vacation for a few days. Much needed. Been working way too much.

I have never been somewhere that it is this cold!!!!!!! My weather-boy Tyler informed me that the low last night was 2 degrees..... Last night after we rolled in about 7:00 pm we went to birthday dinner with grandma and grandpa Mary for Ellen's birthday. Had wonderful steak, salad and wine. I was so tired after we got back to the condo I fell asleep in the chair. Today is sunny and clear. Lots of snow. Gorgeous. I was looking forward to sleeping in today. I'm an old lady now because I have been up since 7:00 am. I just made coffee and and admiring the beautiful snow on the golf coarse. My day is gonna be rough today.

Coffee.....workout......read..........play in the snow with the kids........maybe work out again....dinner....watch it snow......maybe take a nap...................more to come. Hope to take some pics but I may be enjoying myself too much to remember to get out the camera...........and I get my kids all to myself.............we usually have an extra kid or two...not this year......just our family......enjoyable.

And just as I was posting this I saw 5 deer run across the golf coarse......really???? I want to live here..........