Check this out!!!

OK, I don't know if I am approaching panic due to my upcoming age, or if I am just brave. Check out what I had my friend to ,my hair this time around. I love it. I have been out a few times and gotten several compliments on it. Of course they are usually young teenage girls but a compliment is a compliment, right! This is a self portrait so do critique my photography skills!

A break from the snow ?

Well according to the weather guy it is just a break. We are expecting more snow tonight and tomorrow morning. At our house we have 26 1/2 inches, give or take, in our back yard. We are getting cabin fever and we still have a few Christmas presents to buy, we'll see!!

Snow a plenty!!

Snowed In !!!!!

We are 14 inches of snow and counting. Blayne and I had to shovel a path in the backyard because it got so bad Roxy (our lab) would not go outside to go to the bathroom. It is beautiful, as long as I don't have to drive in it. Blayne and I drove up to Lacey, Washington for the weekend (kid free). They are having our same weather up there. We had a lot of fun, the drive home was slow and icy but it was completely worth it. We came home to 2-3 inches of ice on top of 12 inches of snow covering everything at home.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas.........

So we have been enjoying such beautiful snow in our part of town, but this mom is going to go crazy before winter break ends. Bad timing that school was called of the entire week before winter break. I am glad I love my children! (or they are lucky I love them anyway) We actually have been having a lot of fun. The kids and I made some fudge on Monday, decorated cookies on Tuesday (thanks Jack) then today we dipped marshmallows in chocolate then made a brownie/chocolate/candy cane treat. It was messy but we had fun. I love the Christmas Season, Merry Christmas!!

The Snowflake Tree

So we started a tradition in our family. We decorate our tree in snowflakes and snowflakes only. Every year I buy a new snowflake for each child. My Family has a tradition of an ornament exchange, each year we alternate who buys ornaments for who, my older sister started with buying me these beautiful glass snowflakes. Thus the snowflake tradition started.

Welcome December

So, with Thanksgiving behind us, the Yates family starts preparing for Christmas. We got all of the stuff out of the attic and went to put the lights up on the outside of the house, wouldn't you know, out of my 4 or 5 strands of lights not one of them fully lit up. I have no idea how it happened 1/2 of every strand was perfect and the other half was dead. I tried to mess with them but had no luck. So after a quick trip to Freddy's, Blayne and I successfully put the lights up on the lower level of the house. We have not been brave enough to put them up on the second story. We spent too much time on the roof this summer while painting, we don't feel the need to get up there any more than we have to. We didn't get our tree this weekend but we made a spot for it. We just have to figure out how to keep Maddy away from it, then we can go get it. Ashley put her Christmas music on my iPod, so I can play it in my car. Victoria and I made the traditional Christmas chain out of construction paper this afternoon. So the countdown begins!!!

Thanksgiving

During the American Revolutionary War the Continental Congress appointed one or more thanksgiving days each year, each time recommending to the executives of the various states the observance of these days in their states. The First National Proclamation of Thanksgiving was given by the Continental Congress in 1777:

“ FOR AS MUCH as it is the indispensable Duty of all Men to adore the superintending Providence of Almighty God; to acknowledge with Gratitude their Obligation to him for Benefits received, and to implore such farther Blessings as they stand in Need of: And it having pleased him in his abundant Mercy, not only to continue to us the innumerable Bounties of his common Providence; but also to smile upon us in the Prosecution of a just and necessary War, for the Defense and Establishment of our unalienable Rights and Liberties; particularly in that he hath been pleased, in so great a Measure, to prosper the Means used for the Support of our Troops, and to crown our Arms with most signal success:

It is therefore recommended to the legislative or executive Powers of these UNITED STATES to set apart THURSDAY, the eighteenth Day of December next, for SOLEMN THANKSGIVING and PRAISE: That at one Time and with one Voice, the good People may express the grateful Feelings of their Hearts, and consecrate themselves to the Service of their Divine Benefactor; and that, together with their sincere Acknowledgments and Offerings, they may join the penitent Confession of their manifold Sins, whereby they had forfeited every Favor; and their humble and earnest Supplication that it may please GOD through the Merits of JESUS CHRIST, mercifully to forgive and blot them out of Remembrance; That it may please him graciously to afford his Blessing on the Governments of these States respectively, and prosper the public Council of the whole: To inspire our Commanders, both by Land and Sea, and all under them, with that Wisdom and Fortitude which may render them fit Instruments, under the Providence of Almighty GOD, to secure for these United States, the greatest of all human Blessings, INDEPENDENCE and PEACE: That it may please him, to prosper the Trade and Manufactures of the People, and the Labor of the Husbandman, that our Land may yield its Increase: To take Schools and Seminaries of Education, so necessary for cultivating the Principles of true Liberty, Virtue and Piety, under his nurturing Hand; and to prosper the Means of Religion, for the promotion and enlargement of that Kingdom, which consisteth "in Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost."

George Washington, leader of the revolutionary forces in the American Revolutionary War, proclaimed a Thanksgiving in December 1777 as a victory celebration honoring the defeat of the British at Saratoga.

Christmas is coming, Christmas is coming!!

Are YOU ready? I am not!! I can't believe it has come so soon, Thanksgiving is next week then there is no turning back, Christmas is right around the corner. I am sewing my little hands raw trying to finish my list of projects, I think I have the upper hand on the situation, we'll see!! For those of my family members, I have started a new Lane family blog, come check it out and give me your input and feedback. joeanddonnalane.blogspot.com

Gavin turns 4!!!

Gavin turns 4, officially tomorrow, we had his birthday party yesterday. It was a lot of fun! I made a cake and decorated it with a "Spiderman" theme. He wants us to call him Peter Parker, that's how obsessed he is with Spiderman. I was going to write "Happy Birthday Peter" on it but was voted down. Jesse and Crystal bought him Spiderman flannel pajamas, he wore them all afternoon. We got him a scooter, so all night he was riding his scooter through the kitchen with his pajamas on. It was so cute, he had a great day!!

Halloween!!

We had the best Halloween. The weather was dry and warm. The kids had fun and their costumes were so cute! Then wee spent all day on Saturday having a girls pampering party at my house. Ashley has her hair done and Ashley, Emily, Victoria, and I all had pedicures. It was a really fun weekend!!!

Bushue Farms

So after having a great lunch at Calamity Jane's, we went to the pumpkin patch. We took the kids and went with the McNutt family (Blayne's cousin), Damon, Kelly, Alyssa, and Grace. We went to BUSHUE FARMS, took a hay ride over to the large pumpkin patch, they dropped us off, we wondered around and found our pumpkins, then they picked us up. We rode back over to the farm, paid for hay ride and pumpkins. We came home hung out for awhile, made dinner, played the Wii, then finally carved our pumpkins. We had to keep Maddy from eating the pumpkin scraps,it was so much fun. It was a beautiful Oregon day, it was 70 degrees and sunny. The wind was blowing a nice warm breeze (I love it when it is windy). Today will definitely make a list of one of my "PERFECT" days!!!

Can we say OBSESSED!!!

We Can! Blayne and I are obsessed with this series. (some of many) We are joining the countdown. In fact Blayne has actually started re-reading the series. He has downloaded the soundtrack videos to our ipods, and he has found several parts of the books that were removed after editing and read those too. (He may disagree with some of them being removed)

We are preparing for Halloween at our house. We have a Cowgirl, Spider man, and a Ladybug. We are enjoying the beautiful (when it's dry) fall weather. So many gorgeous colors. It is time for a fall family photo......I will have to work on that.

The Countdown

Our Bow Legged Girl!!

So we had Maddalyn's PT appointment today. She is definitely bow legged. She has a curve to her upper leg bone, her lower leg bone, and also her foot turns in. Both legs are affected, but the left is definitely worse. We are hoping she grows out of it and no braces or casts are needed. The dr. said it probably developed in utero. Which if you remember when she was born, she slept with her legs overlapping indian style. We noticed it but thought nothing of it. She is growing so fast, turning into such a mischievous little girl. If she wasn't getting into trouble and trying to run away, we probably wouldn't have noticed this early. Upon her get away she gets going too fast and falls.

Is it time for snow yet?

I hate the rain (I know I live in the wrong state). I would rather have snow. Blayne is ready for snowboarding season already, we never got his gear put away from last year. We both bought new gear last year, it was great. Spendy but great. He has threatened if I don't take my skis up a minimal time this season, he is selling them. As if he would! Hate the rain, lets skip fall and go straight into winter.

Tag? I am not a very good sport, I always have to win!

I am playing tag.

Here are the rules:
Link the person who tagged you.
Tell about 6 quirks of yours.
Tag 6 fellow bloggers to do the same.
Leave a comment to let them know.

Ashley! - Picture me sticking my tongue out at you!http://jakeandashleymartin.blogspot.com/

1. I am very much so OCD
2. I rub my feet together while going to sleep, also CAN'T have any socks on (I prefer to rub them on Blayne's legs, if they aren't available I rub them together.
3. My room has to be pitch black while going to sleep
4. I hate my nose being touched
5. My dishes have to be done immediately
6. During conversation I validate you by saying, "right" often


I Tag: Liz McNamee, Cali Gibbs, Katie Lofts, Amanda Nelson, and Melissa Yates

Back to life...

So life as we know it has returned to normal. Blayne and I finished the 4th and final book in the "Twilight" saga last week. I don't think we have ever been consumed by anything that much........except the bug! So we need any and all recommendations for the next set or series of books that we NEED to read so we can ignore any and all responsibilities we may have. (Help me out, please make all suggestions asap, I have to teach Relief Society on the 19th.....Shhhh!)

Punk Rock Red!

Punk Rock Red, is what Blayne calls my new hairdo. Don't get me wrong he loves it, but that is his official description of it. I have the neighbor that everyone should have (one of them anyway). She was a hairstylist in downtown Portland. She recently moved to Washington but her Mom is still next door. So, she does the best job ever, and I figure everything is temporary so why not have a little fun! (My Maddy and Ashley's Abram)

The Melting Pot

Blayne took me to the Melting Pot for dinner, after taking me shopping for a new outfit for the occasion. I may have ended up with more than one...Shhhhh. I was welcomed by a dozen long stemmed red roses, we had a wonderful romantic dinner (for quite a pretty penny). I HAVE THE BEST HUSBAND EVER!!!! Being married for ten years definitely has benefits. Get older may have benefits also:)

Happy Anniversary!

Tomorrow Blayne and I will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary. We got married when we were 19, bought our first house in Oregon City 9 months later. We had Victoria after being married almost 4 years and we haven't slowed down since. Oh Boy!! We have come along way in 10 years, heck we have come along way in 5 years. We claim that we are not getting old, but I think we are trying to talk ourselves out of it more than anything. Happy Anniversary Blayne, I love you! Ten years down and eternity to look forward to!!

"Children of the corn"

So we spent our last weekend of the summer going to Kuna, Idaho to visit my brother in his new house. (Kuna is real close to Meridian and Boise) His house he bought is in a quiet little neighborhood that backs up to a HUGE corn field. So we let the kids out and of course they end up in the corn, just by pure nature of being a kid. It was a beautiful relaxing weekend. I am now addicted to the "CRICUT" machine. Best invention for scrapbooking and crafting in a long time. So here we go ending another summer and starting a new school year.

Our "Peachy" weekend!

At least I admitted we were crazy before we even started. So...Ashley and I, with some sporadic help from a few others, canned 170 quarts of peaches. and 30 or so pints of peach jam. Holy cow! We got our peaches late Thursday night. We got a good start on them on Friday morning and canned all day. We started again on Saturday and canned all day. Then we finished on Sunday afternoon. We thought we would be done on Saturday, but we got slower and slower as the days went on. I have no desire to eat them after spending three days canning them. We had some great help from My brother in-law Sean, My mother in-law Mary, and My mom Julie. We would still be canning if we didn't have their help. Thanks Guys!!

My Kids!

Crazy?

So apparently Ashley and I didn't learn our lesson when we canned 150 pints of strawberry jam. We are punishing ourselves by canning 15 boxes of peaches. I think we may very well be NUTS! 15 boxes of peaches, $300; Ingredients and supplies, $100; Spending time with my sister, Priceless! I think? (Who's going to be watching the 5 kids, CHELSEA!!!)

Summer is almost over....

Summer is close to coming to an end and school is about ready to begin. We went and got all of Victoria's school supplies last week and then finished off her wardrobe this week. I can't believe how exspensive it is to send kids to school. I don't know how my mom did it.

Tori is so excited to start the first grade. Gavin is upset he has to stay home with mom (little does he know I wish he were going to school too!), and Maddy could care less about anything.

August is here and it is HOT!!

So, with summer approaching the down hill slide. It is definately making an impression on this family. We call our air conditioned house, our "cave". We leave the blinds shut, the doors closed, and the A/C on. Today is going to make it to a sweltering 96 degrees. I understand this may not be hot to some or in some states, but the humidity alone in Portland is enough to kill you on an 80 degree day.

Victoria says she is ready to start school, Mom says, "See ya!" Although she does very well to be the entertainment for the other two kids, it is much easier to handle two than three.

Our anniversary is one month away, what do you do for your ten year. I would think it should be important. Blayne asks me what I want or what I want to do, and I say, " I don't know." Yeah, I am no help.

Here's to four weeks until school is in session!!!

Memory Tag

1. As a comment on my blog leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Dirt, Dirt, and more Dirt!

I don't mind going camping, it is alot of work for only two days. Though I like camping, I hate being dirty, I hate my kids being dirty, and I hate that there is dust on everything. I really hate coming home and having to wash EVERYTHING!!! So, I need to service that packs for me, keeps my kids clean while we are there, and cleans and puts everything away until next time. Let me know if you hear of anything! LOL!!! How about let me know if you know of a camping spot that doesn't have any dirt!! (other than my backyard)

Can summer be too hot?

I think we are spoiled as Oregonians, we complain when it is raining and then again when it is too hot. I think a nice 74 degrees with a light breeze is perfect.

Our trip to the Zoo!

NOTE:

For future reference, if you are crazy enough to take seven kids to the zoo, make sure you DON'T do it on the second Tuesday of the month. This happens to be discount day and everyone in the entire city of Portland is there. With the day quickly approaching 98 degrees, we made a fast but still hectic trip to the zoo.

4th of July

This is how our night began, little fireworks for the kids. Later in the evening we joined several of our neighbors and put on a great firework show. I can't promise it was legal but is was great. Ashley will post the pics on her blog. It was beautiful!!

Fourth of July!!

Fourth of July is always a busy day for the Yates, sharing it with Blayne's birthday. We are having a big BBQ. Then heading out to the rodeo on Saturday. Boy you can tell you are getting older when your birthday is just another day. Turning thirty next year just is not something we are looking forward to! Happy Birthday Blayne!!