We got pictures of the kids in their Christmas PJs.
The girls and Alan sang and played songs at the retirement home called the Springs.
We went to see the movie Sherlock Holmes and we all enjoyed it.
We went to Mo's and had clam chowder, it was very tasty. We tried to feed the gulls but there were more black birds than anything else and not too many of those.
We all took turns cutting the tree down. It was an adventure just finding a farm open to cut it down but we lucked into one that let us do it even though they were closed. He was happy to get our $40 4 days before Christmas!
We celebrated their birthdays while we got together today. The Evertons came over and we had soup, chili, hot chocolate, and veggie plates.
This week was a lot of fun at work. We had a sock exchange and because they don't make Christmas socks in size 15 our boss got a Santa hat instead. We had food and treats everyday and I have gained 5 pounds from eating all the cookies, fudge, candy, fruit cake, and pecan pie. The kids gave and got gifts and we did too. I love this season of giving and remembering Christs' birth! Happy holidays everyone ! )
The annual meet/eat/and gag gift was tonight at the Hansens' house. The Gravels, Snooks, Browns, Lawlers, Nancy Grace, Warrens, Nuttalls, Hansens, (including Dawn, Ben, and Becca), and a few new ward members we met.
There were lots of good things to eat! I want a couple of recipes.
Dawn got one of our gifts and really liked them.
Last night was our ward Christmas party. We are so big we had to do it in the Stake building so it was hard to even know who was there. We sat with the Batemans and Chandra.
Some of the staff at school dressed up for Friday before Halloween. My boss is is the DR. behind us and Karon is Mr. Foxx from Dr. Suess, I'm Mary Katherine Gallager/or Velma from Scooby Doo, and Nate, a student, is James Bond.
I got my hair cut at Precision Cuts by our house to give it to 'locks of love' again. I told the girl to make it so I could curl it under and she did the exact opposite and gave me a wedge with layers. She did thin it which was good because it still puffs out way too far. Oh well, it will grow!
We had a couple of princesses staying at our house last weekend. We had a lot of fun going through clothes and playing together.
It was pretty chilly so we bundled up each morning to keep warm.
Of course, a visit just isn't a visit without going to Panera, MMM!
Jamie baked the salmon I brought from Portland that night and we all feasted. It was really good!
The children and I got to play and tickle before they went off to bed.
Emma is talking to grandpa and we all wished he could be there too and share in the fun.
Our friend invited people to go fishing with him and Alan and I signed up to go this Saturday. We got up at 4 AM and got to Warrenton, on the Columbia river to start fishing by 7AM.
It was pretty cool and windy and the spray kept us wet and chilled most of the day.
Alan got the biggest fish, the boat owner snagged the next, and another friend got the third. I got a small trout that we threw back in. 
Alan caught this one soon after we got into the water and made us all excited that our catch was just a hook away. We took them over to be filleted and then took them home. It was quite an experience.
We had to wait for Debi's flight to come in almost 7 hours after ours so they took us to Opreyland and this is at the hotel. We walked around the mall and ate at Cracker Barrel and rocked in rockers and talked until time to go back to the airport.
We got in some good foot rubbin'.
We picked tomatos, peppers, cucumbers, and beans from the garden. We "busted a bunch" of beans as Alicia would say, it was great and they tasted like heaven.
We taught everyone how to play 13 or 5 Crowns and Annie won, I won't say who lost, cause he already knows.
Sometimes there was nothing to do but rest! Here's a couple of tired ol' boys.
Dave and Annie's family came Friday night before we left on Saturday so we got a picture of everyone together. We missed Dale, Brian and Katie's family by a day I think.
Good-bye picture with mom and dad.
This is a lego construction in Las Vegas airport. They had the statue of liberty out of legos in the Portland airport. They were pretty neat!
We saw all the farm animals first and the kids liked the goats a lot.
Ben loved pumping the water and the other two loved playing in the water.
All three got a turn at milking a pretend cow and did a good job at it.
We had to try the ol' head thru the hole picture!)
