Post-Christmas

Here are a few pics from our post-Christmas, pre-New Years Eve adventures while we were in WA & OR:
We went with the Allens & Le Anne to the Pittock Mansion which is 1,000 ft. above the Portland skyline. We had a plethora of kids so we didn’t go inside (plus it cost to take the tour), but we walked the grounds and a forest path off to the side. It was amazingly beautiful, but awfully cold that day.

Cold cold cold Ruby & Grandma Danna

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

Pre- Christmas

Pre-Christmas adventures

Embrace the Race

Something snapped in my brain and suddenly I LOVE RUNNING! Here are a few pics from the two 5Ks I ran with Erica and Lauren.
The Gobble Wobble on Nov 21st:



The ColderBolder on December 5th:

I improved my time by 18 seconds between these races, which were two weeks apart. Whoohoo. My goal was to run the 3.1 miles at an 8 min/mile pace and I hit 7:52 on the ColderBoulder. We’ve started a running club amongst my mom buddies. We are currently training for a 10K, then a half marathon, and then maybe, just maybe, the big M (26 miles and 385 yards).

My Birthday

I’m struggling to keep up with my blog. My free time is spent mainly in the pursuit of lean muscle. I’ve never felt better. My first 5K, the Gobble Wobble, is one week away and I can’t wait.
But there are a few events I don’t want to forget from these past few weeks. My birthday was utterly delightful. Adam got a few friends together and surprised me with a group date to Olive Garden with cake and guitar hero at Lauren’s afterwards.
This is the only picture I have from that party. You might be saying, “What is wrong with your neck, Mindi?” Well, I’m straining to keep Adam in line, like always. On Sunday night there was a family party at Steve and Amanda’s for Jack and I. That was mega fun but no pictures to detail. We did have these ice cream sandwiches:

Here is the recipe b/c I know you want it:
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/10/pumkin-spice-ice-cream-sandwiches-with.html

A Few Pics From Our Week

Kaia builds an arch with help from the Drays at the Museum of Nature and Science.

The polar bear exhibit.

Tristan wore his superman cape to help me turn in my ballot on Tuesday.

Sierra finally got her cast off! Six weeks after falling while climbing the walls.

Ruby’s First Banana

Kaia is ready to feed her baby sister a banana for the very first time.

Gram steps in to help.
“What did you just stick in my mouth?!”
“Well, OK, if you say so.” (Shortly after the brief feeding Ruby also got her first hair cut, just a small trim to get the long ones out of her eyes).

Whole Lot’a Snow

This is the view of Gram and Pop’s deck yesterday afternoon (Wednesday). Then the storm kept ‘a blowin’ all night.

Ruby’s first snow.

Our poor little beehive was barely visible this morning. Don’t worry about those bees, though. They all surround the queen and flap their little wings like crazy heaters and survive the winter just fine.

Sledding was nearly impossible, but I insisted the kids stay outside for at least as long as it took me to get their winter gear on.

Tristan helped Pop with the snow plow for about an hour!

Sierra read “Are You My Mother?” and a few other books to Gram. We camped out at Gram and Pop’s all afternoon and evening. It was a perfect snow day.

Adam had to leave for work again after dinner. Something about turning on heaters so pipes wouldn’t freeze at office buildings an hour south of us. I was helping the girls with their homework when I realized that Tristan was being awfully quiet in the laundry room. I went in to discover he had emptied out most of my powder Tide on the floor and was driving trucks and tractors through the “snow”. I told him he was in big trouble and quickly put him in bed. I was thinking I would take a picture of the scene and text it to Adam “look what your son did” but when I got back downstairs sweet Sierra and Kaia were in the process of cleaning up the mess!

Sierra’s Birthday Month

I was worried Sierra’s birthday would be overshadowed this year since there was so much happening in October. I should have known she would never let that happen.

What kind of Mom let’s their kid go rollerskating with a broken arm? Um, well, I just couldn’t tell her that she couldn’t go to Grace’s birthday party at US on Wheels! Sierra made sure everyone at this party knew her own birthday was two weeks away.

We were in Moab, UT the weekend before Sierra’s birthday. Adam was racing in the 24 Hours of Moab with a team of 6 other guys. There were quite a few kids in camp with us. Sierra lined them all up, told them they were her candles, and had them sing happy birthday to her.

When we got home from the camping trip Gram was ready with these little chocolate cakes from Costco. They were very, very yummy!

This is Sierra’s kindergarten class singing her happy birthday on the day after her birthday. There happened to be no school on the 12th so she begged me to bring in brownies on the 13th.

On Saturday the 26th we had a full-blown birthday party. I’d tried to schedule it closer to her birthday but we had to change the date 3 times! Even after sending out invites. Gram and Sierra made their very own pinata for the party.