THE BIG 4-0!

Another birthday already?  It has been a great year.  I have learned a lot and have so much to be grateful for.  Here are just a few of my blessings:

 - Good friends that make me a part of their lives and help me become a better person.

 - A kitchen full of sweet chefs (Sage McKague, McKenna and Elizbeth Zundel) who want to make my day special by attempting my favorite red velvet cake recipe quite successfully with a little help from the best husband in the world. 

- A bounteous garden, that provides food for us all year through.

- Kids that work hard and have a desire to excel at their schooling.  These are MSP scores worth bragging about a few perfect writing scores and reading scores and their math wasn't so bad either.

- My sisters, all of which have their own special part to play in my life, but I enlist them all to keep me trendy and hip as I age.

- A family and friends that won't let the big days in your life go by without acknowledging them in a big way.   Yes, I was surprised.  I had no clue! They planned and executed a party with good food, family and friends (including my piano teacher from years ago) to review (roast) my last 40 years complete with pictures (hairstyles, dance team costumes, old boyfriends and more).   I know they love me because they still hang around, even after all that.

Thank you for a great birthday!

Union High's Homecoming

Homecoming was a big deal around our house.  Austin really wanted to surprise Mandy when he asked her to the dance.  The whole family got involved helping him make a huge sign and decorations to plaster over her garage door one afternoon while she was gone to dance practice.

I am sure she was very surprised when she drove in, and Austin did get a "YES!" from the invitation.

They both looked beautiful for the dance and had a great time together.  This is the group of friends they enjoyed the evening with:

The First Day of School

This is a big year - I no longer have an elementary school child.  That tugs on a mother's heart strings.  It is just proof that they are growing up and pretty soon they will be out of the house. That makes me sad.  Just like anyone who has a full-time job will tell you, there are work days that really stink where you feel unappreciated and underpaid.  It is no different being a homemaker and full-time mom.  But I wouldn't trade my occupation for any other opportunity.  I love having a full house and hate the day I have to send them back to school.

Austin - Junior

Carson - 8th

McKenna - 6th

This year McKenna moves up to middle school.  Gone are the days of walking the kids to school and take pictures of them with their friends and their teachers.  No worries, I have found my way around that by being part of the parent group.  I get to show up and help with the opening day assemblies.  Carson and McKenna are somewhere in this crowd with their friends and teachers.

I am behind a table getting ready to hand out class schedules.  I am pleased to say that my kids did find their way over to me to say hi, introduce some of their friends and give me a hug...

...and of course I had "kisses" waiting for them when they got home.

The Brother Dog Dare

What's that you ask?  A Brother Dog Dare is the worst dare there is.  It beats even the triple dog dare.  Why, is this particular dare so dangerous? Because when a brother dares you he has no concern for your safety or your ego AND because families are forever you will NEVER EVER be allowed to forget the outcome: good, bad, ugly or as stupid as it may be.

Accompanying a Brother Dog Dare are usually the words "I did it, and I bet you can't beat my record."  Now that I have explained this horrific dare to you, you can all stop wondering why Austin has broken so many bones and why the boys seem to be so accident prone.  In our home it is attributed to the Brother Dog Dare.

Here is the latest and the greatest:  How long can you hold a salted ice cube?  I bet you can't hold it longer than me?  BTW - thanks YouTube for the idea :/ This dare is coming from Austin, who has worked all summer digging sprinkler ditches for grandpa and has severely toughened palms, to Carson, who has not been in the trenches yet and does not even know to consider the condition of ones palms before taking the dare.  Here are the results:

Against Mom and Dad's advice, Carson accepted the dare and won the bet, but lost the use of his hand for a bit.  To the mothers of boys out there:  Do they ever grow out of this stupidity?

Oneonta Gorge

The last weekend before back to school our family took a day trip into the Columbia River Gorge to do one of our favorite hikes - Oneonta Gorge.  This hike is a lot of fun because you get to climb a GIANT log jam and then don some good water shoes and wade, or swim depending on the water level, another 1/2 mile through a 20 foot wide chasm cut by Oneonta creek.

At the end of the journey is a 100 foot waterfall and tiny swimming pond that dumps into Oneonta creek.  The water is always refreshing even on a really hot day and the whole excursion is just a lot of fun.

We love living in the Northwest, especially when the sun is shining.  There are so many beautiful sights and adventures to be had.  We don't take advantage of it as much as we would like to, but sure enjoy it when we can.