Girls' Getaway

To celebrate Mom feeling better, she took us away for a very fun and relaxing weekend at Cannon Beach. We stayed at the Lodges which is a brand new place right across from my favorite bakery in - so I was in heaven! The place was very nice, and it was wonderful to have lots of space! We saw all kinds of weather while we were there - completely foggy to the point where we couldn't even see the ocean when we were walking on the beach. Then it was sunny and then it was sunny and very windy. Amy and I walked in the wind a mile up the beach, and it felt like we had walked three miles! The next day it was pouring and then cleared up. Mom made us a delicious dinner Friday night, and we played cards and hung out. On Saturday morning, I got my coffee and espresso glazed raisin bran muffin at Waves of Grain. Then we took an Omelet class at the Cannon Beach Cooking School. We learned how to make three different kinds of omelets and also how to make the most delicious French toast. Mary was not too excited about taking a cooking class, but she made it through the class and now knows how to make a frittata! After class we did some shopping and picked up pizza to eat back at our house. We watched some of the Duck game and just relaxed the rest of the night - it was SOOO wonderful to not have to cook, clean, etc. We had lot of great laughs, and Mom definitely spoiled us and made us feel so special. It was great to come home feeling completely relaxed after a few very busy weeks. Thank you, Mom! You are the BEST :)

Smiling while doing Homework??

I just had to take a picture when I saw Conner and McKenzie actually smiling and talking with each other about their homework! They are both taking geometry - they are in different classes but have the same teacher with the same homework. They actually seemed to be enjoying their homework and just spending time together. They all made it through their first week of school and did amazing. I cannot believe how incredibly busy Conner and McKenzie both are every day with having soccer after school. They get home between 6:00-7:00 every night, so they are gone about 12 hours a day! Good thing they are enjoying soccer (McKenzie says it's her favorite part of school). Kelsey also did a great job with her first week of middle school. She is having to get to know lots of new people and is keeping a positive attitude. Peter and I are having to be more organized than we have ever been in our entire lives - spending an hour on Sunday mornings mapping out our week (who is picking up who and at what time, who is making dinner, what we can have for dinner given the amount of time we have to make it....etc.)! I'm sure it will get a little easier the longer we do it, and we are constantly keeping in mind how very fortunate we are to be able to send our kids to Westside Christian.

McKenzie's First High School Soccer Game

It was a lot of fun to watch McKenzie's first soccer game tonight. Right after work, I drove out to North Marion High School hoping to catch the second half of her soccer game. I got there more quickly than I expected and was glad I did because she was playing in the game when I got there! She didn't expect to get to play the first half of the game, so she was surprised when the coach told her to sub for someone. She played for about 10-15 minutes and did great. Her team lost 6-2, but it was still so much fun to watch. The girls have such great attitudes and are so positive with each other - it really is great to see. McKenzie's coaches are amazing, too. She and I celebrated her first game by going to Panda Express. Tonight Peter got to make dinner and be home to take Kelsey to her soccer practice. Peter gets to go to Conner's first game tomorrow, while I get to pick McKenzie up from practice. We are entering a whole new stage of life with two kids in high school who play sports! Peter and I are hoping to see each other once in awhile during the week and look forward to time together on the weekends :).

First Day of School!

The kids all survived their first day of school. I kept thinking about them all day, and was especially feeling sorry for Conner and McKenzie who had to play soccer for two hours after school in the 90 degree heat! Kelsey rated the day a "9" despite coming home in tears after a very overwhelming bus experience (getting on the wrong bus and then being on the bus with 100 children without air conditioning!). Conner and McKenzie got home around 6:30 and both came home very happy and very talkative. It was the longest dinner conversation we've had in ages! I loved it :) McKenzie said that school was kind of boring, but there were good parts, too :) Conner said the best part of his day was hanging out with a friend who he hadn't seen over the summer. I celebrated the first day of school with a little shopping at the Nike Employee store, a pedicure, and a takeout lunch from Siam :). Back to work for me today and then off to watch McKenzie's very first high school soccer game!

Cousins Sleepover 2011

All of the cousins had a great time at Mom and Dad's for their annual Cousins Sleepover. The night started off with tons of treats, of course, and some fun water games. We had lots of laughs watching the kids play water balloon volleyball, sponge dodge ball, and a water relay. The girls won the relay by "a landslide" as Uncle Jim said! They decorated cupcakes, did face painting, played games, went on a walk around the neighborhood with glow sticks, and stayed up late talking. The "Sleepover Fairy" made a stop in Eugene and picked up all the Duck gear to kickoff the football season. Once again Mom and Dad made all of the kids feel super special and created lots of good memories for everyone. Thanks, Mom and Dad!!