The Christmas Slump.

We are in the Christmas slump! The house feels cramped now

from the holiday decor and I am way behind on the blogging.

So I took the tree down yesterday, and now I'm putting 4 posts in one!!

Lets start on... before Christmas activity.

Carson and Brooke gathered some seed pods from

outside and wanted to make ornaments.

They were lovely!

We went back to the festival of lights to see Santa.

It was fun a second time around too! We got there right when

he had to take a potty break, so we rode the carousel... i thought it a bit scary!

But the kids liked it!

SANTA!!

Christmas morning!! At 8am! I was awake and ready to go at 6am

and thats only because Miah said if anyone gets up before 6am then they

would go back to bed... So I forced myself back to sleep when I had woken up at 4am.

AAHHHHH!

And so, let the mess begin!

This damage is after they told me that they had taken all their stuff upstairs... hmm

Well we had a blast this Christmas.. I love Christmas day.

We all sit around and play with our toys and eat leftovers from

Christmas eve dinner and junk from our stockings!

What a slow wonderful day!

Sugar Cookies!

Usually I start making cookies around Halloween and go till Summer,

but this is the first batch since, uh well its been awhile. I think I over did it!

But after having them today... Mmmmm they are back baby!

Aren't they pretty!! Kennen was such a good helper.

Carson and Brooke missed out on the action, because they played at dinner

instead of eating. But not to worry.. We still must make Santas!

I have tried many a sugar cookie recipe and let me tell you, this one is my favorite!

Thanks Candice Sorensen! We still make them all the time!

'Tis The Season...

To start off some of our Christmasy fun, we went to the Festival of Lights!

It was fantastic, we drove through it I think, three times. We had snacks and some delicious

hot cocoa! We didn't do the full walking activities because it was freezing cold!

We were able to take the train around so that was fun for everyone! The kids

had these snazzy glasses that when you look at the lights it turns them into snowflakes,

Santas, and snowman! they were pretty cool, its the best way to see Christmas!

Like I said, we got these really cool glasses for the kids!

This was one of our favorite light sculptures. It is the Cooper River Bridge.

it changed ever so gracefully from the old bridge to the new one!

Miah wanted ya'all to know that he took this picture.

The kids were plum tuckered!

See Carson is still wearing his awesome glasses!

Next we set out for our original South Carolina Christmas... Bush.

We found a rather large one to trim! Ain't she purty.

Kennen also just had the little first grader Christmas pageant!

She was so cute (Driving us nuts with all the practicing but she knew her songs!)

We haven't been able to locate our video camera, so its just pictures this year.

We have had a blast with all the Christmas delights!

Hope you are having a jolly holly season too!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Ok, here is the skinny and a few pictures!

Before we left Washington Kennen got to start First grade.. yeah I'm a little behind I know. So here she is... She is grown up so fast (sniff)

She loved Madison, her teachers and friends. She really misses everything about it!

Before we left we got to go out to Shore Line with my buddy, Laura Suttle. She rocks and we had a blast. The kids all got soaked and I think I will need a new washer after doing laundry this day!

So skipping into our trip to South Carolina! This was out side of Denver (had so much fun there with the few families we got to see, wish we could visit more but it is a long drive!). Carson was hiding from the sunshine! He has become a little Nintendo nerd and he had almost free range of it on the way here!

Even though it was a long drive and took us days, we still managed to hit all the Cabela's and Bass Pro shops on the way! (something that you and dad are going to want to plan for when you make your trip, mom.)

Ahhhhh here we are!! We did it! A few more hours and we are there! Sorry about the blurriness but I wasn't ready as I sped by! but you can still make out what it mostly says!

So much to post!

Ok, To start this hopeful blogging streak, I will tell you what awesome friends I have!

These pictures are part of the tulip festival street fair.  It was a blast.  We went early, so that was good because it didn't get over crowded with people until we were leaving, and as you can see we had a large stroller parade, people kept asking us what club we were with... I'm pretty sure after awhile we just started making up names for our party.  It was lots of fun, I love these gals!

These pictures are small because I stole them off my facebook, my friend Janna took them and I need to get better copies of them because they crack me up!  Janna is the one that you can bearly see in the center of the picture up top!  

I should have bought this purse!  It was only one giant pocket, so not very practical. But I would have had a lot of fun with it.  They have a store here somewhere and when I find it... Miah will be so proud!

We should have bought these hats too!  They were very stylish,  I even got the lady talked down $10, which should only tell you how much of a rip they were, since I didn't even buy it then!  It was a splendid day!

I have lots more pictures to post of things that we have been doing but I didn't want to do to many at once so I will try to keep it up.

What I did today!!!

Today was a great day!!! Jeremiah and I went riding and it was rainy and cold! But what was so great was that I got the guts up to ride Miah's bike! Yeah, I'm awesome! I didn't wreck it either... well except when I went to stop, I can't really reach the ground, so as I was going to stop, it was hard for me to hold up. But I only laid it over once! Miah and I worked out a system that he would ride ahead of me and jump off my bike and catch me, when we needed to turn around. And then after riding for a bit I was able to stop it on the last ride back to the car! Sharp turns though... well I was to chicken to try turning it! But it was a lot of fun to ride, much more peppy than my bike!!

This last week has been a BLAST!!! Cenia is here to play, and Miah has taken some time off of work so things are busy!!! To start, Kennen is starting school and we are all excited! her first official day is the 1oth, but on the 9th the kindergarten teachers decided to have a half day to show the kids around and teach them the rules. I'm very happy with the school that she will be going to! Its an older school, and its all day, but they are very organized with things, especially transportation which put my nerves at ease! Kennen went in to take a placement test and was put into an advanced reading class!! I was extremely excited about that! Shes just a little smarty!

With Cenia here. Miah and I got to take our dirt bikes up and go camping this last weekend! We went on some trails over by Port Angeles. I loved it!! the trails weren't as hard as the ones around here! The only tricky part was when Miah took me up some steep wet hills with a few rocks here and there! My front tire lost grip on one of the rocks.... and I cartwheeled with the bike back down the hill!! After I was done cussing my husband and finally made it to the top... I found it funny. Nothing broken so that's good! We hit Port Angeles while they were having their Hill Climb Competition! Please don't mention this to Miah, he was really bumbed that he didn't get his bike out to play too! He would have done awesome! It was a lot of fun! Here are a few pictures that I took of the hill!

This guy was awesome!! He shot right up the hill!! This was only the first part of the hill but I think he surprised us all!

As you can see... He has a sense of humor!

Here the guy started going backwards down the hill, so the catcher dove for him!

This was the kids hill climb! also the first one to go! He went straight up the hill, right into the catcher and pushed him right back down the hill!! the catcher that is circled was standing somewhere around where the x is! it started out pretty good!

There is much more to come!! We also went and watched Christen Colonel play ball yesterday. So I'll get some pictures of that on here soon.. then tomorrow Miah is taking me to a Real Big Fish Concert for my Birthday!!! And then I get a spa day on Thursday!! but wait there is more!! We are also taking the kids to the Ringling Bros. Circus on Friday!!! I don't think we can pack anything else into these two weeks!! Most of this we were just lucky to have happen at this time!! Having Cenia here has been great, or we wouldn't have gotten to play so much!

So.. I got a longboard. I think its the new love of my life! It has been a blast. I got it 3 days ago and it has been used constantly. The first day that I got it, my friends husband actually broke his arm on it. Its kind of funny really. the day it happened I'm pretty sure I was laughing at him but now its a good joke all around!

It was to hot to ride it to the top of the hill!!

See I'm a pro already! (I don't recommend riding in flip flops!)

Here I'm riding towards a truck.

This is where the truck got a little to close!

And here I fly through the air with the greatest of ease!!

Ohh crap. my board, I can't let it smash into the curb!

I better get it!

These next ones are just some pictures that I liked. No story board.

I got a Barfoot longboard (Kim when you go to get yours, I highly recommend this guy!! Yes you do want one. Or what will we do all next summer! Watch the kids? Naa)

Barfoot is a big name in Snowboards and surfing and of course longboarding. Its a small company, but everything that I have read about it has been good. I am extremely happy with it. I even got to talk to Chuck Barfoot and ask him questions on what kind of board I should get! I am very impressed with this guy!

yes... Yes it is!

Yes.. This is me falling into the river. What I like best about this video, you cant see on this, you can see it better on facebook where I loaded it. My favorite part is the look of contemplation that you see on my face before choosing my path. I had no idea that Maih was recording me, he was facing the kids. But since I have watched this and had a good laugh I thought I would post it for you so you could have a good laugh too... and I wanted to post it so Miah couldn't remark about it! So here it is... Miah edited!

The day we have all been waiting for!

No.. I'm not pregnant. Let me tell you a little story, a diddy if you will... if you like to hummm while you read

anyway! I got to ride my new toy this weekend (thank you Jessica for watching my kiddies!)!! If you can remember from earlier posts my toy is... was a dirt bike. We went to Walker Valley to do some real trail riding!! It was lots of fun.. I can not even tell you how much fun it was! Well the first trail that we went on kind of sucked... because let us not

forget I am a new comer to this exciting new world, the first trail that we went on wasn't a groomed one. it was big enough for small 4-wheelers, however I wouldn't have been happy on a 4 wheeler! This trail was crazy, steep hills,

big rocks, tree roots, and my loving husbands eyes on me the whole time... I was nervous, but after avoiding a few

trees and a very large trench.. I made it out without a scratch (well maybe a small scratch). So deciding I just

wasn't ready for that kind of a workout. we took up some groomed trails. these were much better! they were more gravely, but better. I could get the speed that I needed to get up the hills, and a little more confidence on my cute

bike! So we were going full speed on a trail (my full speed, okay, really it wasn't fast at all) and I come around a

corner down a little hill. And some kid is standing next to his bike right in the middle of the trail. Well that wasn't a problem... I went around him just fine, the problem was the pointy jagged rocks and the end of the trail! Crap! I slammed my brakes but... that's right, it wasn't enough....

At least I stopped before the blackberry bushes! that would have

messed up my pretty face!

It looks a lot worse than it feels..

well maybe not... it feels pretty much like this..

I was licking my wounds!

weiner... showing off!

Miah didn't like seeing me wreck at all! He still doesn't like seeing all the bruises.

What a pansy! I was pretty proud of the wreckage.. Now my stuff doesn't look all shinny!

I knew it was coming... I enjoyed having an audience for it too. It gave the kid

something to go home and tell his mom (I'm practically famous). Good times.

(Miah is threatening to sell my bike).

No... this is not what I wore to ride in, are you crazy! I just put this on for effect!

I LOVE MY HELMET!

Well this was just a quick preview... I have it all down my left side, but I didn't think

you would want to see so much... anyway. Today they are

bruised a lot worse, I'll be posting more pictures when they hit their full height of ugliness!

Toys!

Jeremiah's bike...

My Bike...

Yes it's mine, I know it looks more like kennen's... next to Miah's anyway.

Although Kennen could probably ride it better than me.

But I'm very excited to have my Bike and new gear!! This picture is for mom and dad... See Helmet!

Although it was harder to ride with all this stuff on!!

Dang I look good! check out those nice legs! rrrarrrr