Last Day of Summer

CJ and Cole

Taylor and Zac
Taylor and Cole walked over for a quick visit today. The cousins have not been together for quite awhile and it was great to hear their laughter and hellos coming down the street as they neared our house. Cole and Taylor immediately got all over Zac "he is so big", "we missed him", "he is so cute" while CJ and I got the "hi", not even a "how are you?" so typical and so cute. I love how they love and spoil the youngest cousin. Carlos took them all for a walk downtown for some pizza then it was boardgames, card games, wii and riding bikes. Taylor is the BEST sitter! Zac just loves all the attention and she loves giving it to him. They are a good match for each other. She even changes diapers and feeds him. We did do a little change of clothes for this pictures (1st b-day Nike outfit from Auntie Anna we had to use for the photo shoot)! Today was fun, low-key and relaxing around the house with all the kids. I loved hearing their laughter, conversations and overall excitement in being around each other. School will start in a week and I am sure that with soccer schedules, homework, new/old friends and Fall craziness it will be a bit before we are all together again.

Birthday Cupcake

From the placing of the Cookie Monster cupcake on his tray (jelly filled to boot) to the stained lips 20 minutes later...my baby boy had a great time eating his birthday cupcake AND we all enjoyed watching him. Happy 1st Birthday!

Zac's 1st Haircut

Zac got his haircut today. A much needed haircut! Ok, maybe just a much needed 20 or so hairs needed to be cut. In the back he had a few hairs that were just a wee bit too long! Pam did a great job at getting and keeping his attention and not cutting him. She was a real professional and knew just what to do! Thank you so much Pam! His birthday cut looks great.

Happy Birthday Zac

One year ago today you came into our lives. We got to see your face, toes, hands, feet, eyes and all the other fabulous parts of you for the first time. It seems just like yesterday. For reals! You have grown in our hearts, brought so much joy to our family and become more and more your own little person. You came into this world quickly, with little fuss and so ready for everything. I am amazed by you so much everyday. I watched you smile for the first time, hold your head up for the first time, look at me for the first time, roll over, crawl, talk, communicate, laugh, your first steps and a zillion other firsts this first year of your life. You are fun, sweet, kind and so loving. I love how you love your big brother. You have a special look for him and a very personal smile and laugh just for him. Your brotherly bond is so strong and full of love. It is amazing and so cool. I love watching you two play and laugh around the house. This summer has been great. My baby boy...you have grown so much this year. I love you, love you. Bunches and bits.

Here you are getting and giving your first kiss...on your first birthday!

Mexico in Pictures #2

Mexico in Pictures #1

747 Landing

It was a beautiful day in Mac! I took CJ, Stevie, Xander, Zac and Cousin Brian out to see the 747 land at our small airport. As you can tell you can see some others who wanted to see the landing as well. Evergreen Aviation is going to use one of their planes to make a waterpark...with an aviation theme of course. It was fun to watch it start to land, circle around and then really land. It seemed to just fly right by us and then land on such a small runway. Big excitement in our little town.

Umpqua

Zac's first trip to the river!  (Well, out of the tummy anyway!)

It was a packed few days.  Tami and Robert were camping with their daughter Mariah.  What fun! And Trish and Chad stayed at Tony's house with their kids and us in the little house right next door. 

We played hard, laughed hard and enjoyed the sun here and there! 

Thanks for the fun...as always....Jo and Jake!

Nail-Plaster-Clock

Powell and Zac...checking out the view.

Powell and Aud. Cute!

A 16 pound penny nail and a clock...that is how Audrey and I met that very fateful first day at Oregon State. It was our first night in the dorm (or that is how the story goes at least). Poling Hall. Me in room 420, she in 419. We each had our own roommates. We were just doing our own thing when I wanted to hang a clock in my dorm room. How do you hang a clock? Well, you use the nails you found from your family farm...down in the barn. The only ones you could find and you wanted big ones. So, with a large hammer and a huge nail I started pounding. Plaster flew, white powder was everywhere and my roommate freaked out a bit about the noise and the large hole in the wall. "Would we have to pay for that?" Knock, knock on our door! Open to find shorter girl with some awesome curly long hair holding a rather large chunk of plaster. "Um...this just hit me in the head!" My hammering with large nail had produced a large hole and dust and falling plaster not only in my dorm room...but in hers as well! One nail, two holes in two rooms and a new friendship was born! Again fast-forward almost 20 years and here we are on a play date with our two youngest...laughing about old times, using all our inside-joke material, recapping some very good old stories, retelling some (just to laugh again) and of course loving every minute with our boys. Hers is crawling, mine walking and both babbling about life. Only two months apart these boys will have to be life-long friends. They will grow up knowing the nail-plaster-clock story by heart, a love for OSU (hopefully) and hearing their moms laughter when they play.

Note: Some of the above story may have been edited due to content, for brevity and/or due to lapse in memory.

Stinky in the Window

Back in college at Oregon State University, somewhere around my first senior year...I worked a McGrath's Fish House Restaurant. It was a fun time. I needed some money and I had prepping, cooking and basic kitchen skills so we were a good match. I met a girl name Whitney on one of the first days at work. Sidenote: the restaurant was brand new and we were some of the first hires, crazy. Anyway, Whitney and I started talking, laughing, chatting and getting to know one another. We soon realized that we somehow knew each other but couldn't place it. To this day we still can't put our finger on it and chalk it up to a past life...we must have been sisters or something. So, we work the prep kitchen together and saute line and as our friendship grows we become...well more comfortable around each other. So much so that one day at work I was in the huge walk in frig and needed to pass a bit o'gas....needless to say Whitney was the next to walk in and well, I have been Stinky ever since! To make it all fair she is referred to as Stinks. And the window part...that is easy...there was a pass through window from the prep kitchen to the saute line and as I called for items, "Hey Stinks, pass up some (insert needed item here)" and then when needed item was in the window she would holler, "Stinky, (blank) is in the window!" Now fast forward a decade or so and those memories may not have the breadth they once did, but the vividness of some select memories are priceless to me. And truth be told, Stinks is the reason Carlos and I went on our second date! I was having a BBQ at the blue house in Corvallis, (I soooo wanted Carlos to be there) and she said, "If you don't call him I will!" Well them there are some threatening words so I made the call. The rest is history. I was in her wedding. I looked like and felt like a giant (yet glittery) marshmallow but that damn reception was a hoot and Steve's South African friends really do know how to parrrrrrr-tay!

So tonight Whitney came for a visit. All the way from Perth, Australia...but formally from Singapore. But before that they were in Atlanta and just before that they were in South Africa. I love hearing about their life overseas, abroad and out of the USA. They are down-to-earth yet love adventure (she has made over 1000 jumps), (yes out of an airplane) and with the connections facebook allows, we are even more in touch with each other's day-to-day lives...from across the globe. We got to spend two hours catching up on old times (things you can't say on fb or mention in email), take a walk, drink a cold one and meet my family. Quick. Too quick. But we made the best of it and almost forgot to get a picture. So, here is Stinky and Stinks. Together again if only for a short time. See ya next time...or maybe I need to get to Perth?

Mexico

After a very wonderful and very fabulous birthday (friends and family are the best) I spent the evening packing for my 8 days in Mexico. I was pretty much mentally packed so there was not much to do. It was a quick and easy pack to say the least.
Back story:
My mom was the manager for a B&B in Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico for a year (2004). The owner of the B&B is Joan Davenport and she also owns Wine Country B&B in Dundee, Oregon. Anyway...my mom was the first manager, so she took about four months to ready the very large hacienda type home with a nice pool and grounds. My sister Anna, my (then 4 year old son) CJ and I went for 12 days over Christmas in 2004. We had a wonderful experience and really enjoyed the area. Fast forward about 5 years and the current managers wanted to take a short vacation back home and asked Anna to run the B&B while they were home. Anna and her friend were here for the first week and then Bethany (god-mother to my children) and I are here for the second week.
After Carlos and the boys dropped us at the airport Bethany and I realized that over the course of the past 15+ years of friendship we have never flown together. We are good travel companions so all went really well. It was fun to chat and have some alone time with my good buddy! The flight to Houston went great (with a movie) and then to Guadalajara was just great. Bethany was excited (her first trip to Mexico) and I was excited to return to place that is so nice and peaceful. I was looking forward to relaxing and enjoying some time to absolutely nothing. Reality is I am preparing for a college course I will be teaching in the fall this week also...but it is hard to do with so much NOT to do! Ha!
We were expecting to have the B&B driver pick us up from the airport but as we turned around there was my sister! A great super surprise! We arrived safe and sound, chatted a bit, got settled in and then crashed. We have a splendid 7 more days...so more to come! (I will split these into a few different posts and add some pictures these next couple days) Stay tuned!

7:30 AM and changing shifts

Today was my 38th birthday. On this day for the past 20 years (or so) my mom calls me at 7:30 AM to wish me a happy birthday. It is very cute and very much appreciated. She also tells me every year that I was born while the nurses had a shift change at the hospital. Until I had my own two boys I never really understood why that was so important to her or made such an impact. Now I do. When CJ was born 9 years ago I bonded with this one nurse (not sure of her name now) but I swore she saved my life and was "the best nurse ever". When her shift changed and I didn't see her again I mourned slightly. Just last year when Zac was born I had a more bonding experience with my sister than anyone...crazy how your brain works during labor. Anyway, today was a great day. My hubby was sweet and kind, my kids were awesome and my facebook friends took time to wish me a happy birthday. My peeps from Newby took me out to a fabulous lunch and now I am packed and ready to head to Mexico in the morning with Bethany. More to come in just a few days. Here's to a great birthday and safe travels!

Ever since I have known Julie she has called me the day before my birthday to tell me that Gayle and her are picking me up the next day to take me to lunch. It is always a lunch that lasts 3 hours with many laughs, good food and some even better gossip! We do know how to have a great time. Here we are enjoying my birthday dessert...s'mores! It was soooo much fun! Thanks ladies!

MHS 20th Class Reunion

Twenty years ago I graduated from McMinnville High School. It was a proud moment for me and my family. I knew it was important to finish school and graduate. Now as a 2nd grade teacher (and 20 years later) I fully understand how important graduating is and how it impacts a life. Those friendships forged through those four years are important to who I am today...further back into jr high those experience and events shaped my life and further back...yes I am still friends with people from elementary school. Those friends know not only me but my family, the history and some of the stories from "back in the day" are truly priceless. I am glad I graduated from high school and that our high school was small enough for us to remember classmates names and know many of their families. Some friendships are stronger than others, some are more frequently visited and some have been part of our social circle regularly for the past 20 years. All in all it has been a great 20 years and I look forward to meeting with them again in another 10 years.

Go Bears!

Hot Summer Day

Carlos put in a new gate and moved the fence line in my mom's backyard...with the help of Brian of course. All the while CJ had a lemonade stand out front and with neighbor Ethel's trusty friends stopping by CJ made $6.50. It was a really hot day and everyone worked really hard. My mom kept us all fed and watered properly. Zac and I hung out inside for most of the weekend, it was just too hot! The fence and gate turned out great! Now I think the deer can find something to nibble on in another yard!