A Very Special Day

We had a very special day on Sunday.  Nathan turned 8 years old this past week, and so today he was baptized.  So many family members were able to share this day with us, and we are very grateful.  Rebecca's baby was also blessed today, so it was doubly special.  We had dinner all together, opened a few birthday presents, and then had the baptism at the church.  We love Nathan, and are so proud of the wonderful boy that he is!

Eliza and some of her cousins!

Wonderful Christmas!

We had a wonderful Christmas--gathering with a lot of family, meeting our new Baby Cousin "Jack," presents, birthdays, grandmas and grandpas, princesses, dolls, games, aunts and uncles, yummy food, and playing playing playing playing!

Uncle Tony helped Matthew with his paper route on Christmas Eve.  What a great present!  The papers arrived at 10:30 pm on Christmas Eve.  They usually get dropped off at 3 am or so, and then we deliver at 5:00 am.  So we didn't even have to get up early on Christmas morning.  We heard the papers arrive and Tony and Matthew went out to deliver them!  It was great, and Tony used to have the same route---so I am sure he was dying to do it again!

We love the Oregon Coast!

I don't think we could ever get enough of the Oregon Coast.  Or maybe it is just being and playing together as a family?  We love it!

Thanks Mom and Dad!

People always wonder why we go here in the winter, but it is so much fun!  Fifty degrees feels pretty warm in December.  It isn't much warmer on the Oregon Coast in the summer.  We love having this winter vacation treat!

Cable Bridge Run

We did the Cable Bridge Run and it was SO MUCH FUN!  Definitely needs to be a repeat tradition.  Ryan, his dad, and the boys ran the 1 mile part of the race---a three generation run for them.  I ran with two friends--Becky and Kim.  We did the 5K race.  It was a balmy 35 degree day.  Much warmer than the 18 degrees the Saturday before when we did our practice run in the cold to see how many layers we needed!

This picture just doesn't do it justice.  I am running along with my camera above my head snapping a few pictures as we head up and over the bridge (over the Columbia River).  It was awesome.  The adrenaline helps to distract your body about the pain of running up hill the first 1/2 mile of the race!

Here we are right after the race.  I finished 551st out of 1149 --5K runners, and 228th for women.  I feel pretty good about being in the top 1/2  (top 1/3 of all women runners) since it is my third time and only about 5 months of running--not to mention first time running a winter race.

Cable Bridge Run

Well, it is today.  My first winter run.  The weather is perfect.  The 5:00 paper route temp was already 34 degrees.  Feeling pretty balmy compared to last week's -4 and 0 degrees at that time.  Matthew and Nathan are eating breakfast right now.  They are running the mile run part with Ryan and grandpa.  I will be tackling the 3 mile----just hoping to run the whole way!  I am going to go for the outside so I can get some pictures off the bridge.  Be back soon!

I want to live by this motto!

I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.
I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.
I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.
I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived
— Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Wreath Making

I made this wreath last night.  I love all of the craft blogs online and all of the great ideas.   A wreath like this is selling this month at Pottery Barn---costing about $99.  But with some unbreakable balls and a green wreath from Wal-mart, I made it for $19.  You can even make it cheaper if you go to Dollar Tree.  But my friend had all of her ornaments she bought there popping off of their stems.  I decided the extra few dollars was worth it.  I attached the balls with those wire twisty ties that come with my plastic sacks.  I have hundreds in my kitchen drawer, and they worked perfectly.  It was so fast!

Every year I have wanted to buy a big wreath and haven't.  Now I have one!!!!  Thanks to friend Marcie for all of the great make-it-yourself wreath options.  And thanks to "Made with love & glue" for the tutorial.  Mine is such a big wreath that it is a little bushier than the one she made, but I still love it!   

Winterland of Gingerbread

I have to hand it to WAVA (Matthew's school--Washington Virtual Academy).  They have the funnest family outings every month.  Yesterday we went to the Winterland of Gingerbread party.  The kids got to bring a gingerbread house to enter in a contest and display while everyone got to go ice skating.  Cookie making, cookie eating, it was great.  Grandma offered to watch the three youngest, so that Ryan and I could help the ice skaters.  It turns out, I was the one who needed my hand held!  Matthew was tearing up the ice like a hockey player.  Ryan acted like ice skating was natural.  Nathan and Andrew and I took a little longer getting used to a frictionless environment.  I have been ice skating before, but not since my younger years, pre-marriage.  I was going around and around without the railing by the end!  Even Aunt Ashley came to skate with us.  We loved it!

Matthew, Nathan, and Andrew all received awards for their gingerbread houses, which are right in front of them.

devouring the sugar cookies

This is Ryan's littlest sister.  She is a junior in high school.  Right after this picture Ryan said, "Don't hug me like I'm your boyfriend."  Ashley loves getting Ryan going because he loves hugs so much : )

We were dangerous together.  I don't know if Nathan was going to take me down, or if I was going to take him down.

Gingerbread Building

We decided to pull out the gingerbread early this year.  It is always great fun and a great mess.  I guess that is why we love to do it.  We are also entering our houses in a competition this year, so we had to get them done in the midst of a very busy week.  But we did it!