Busy Thanksgiving weekend

Pics posted soon I promise!

What a crazy weekend. Thanksgiving was nice. It was just the four of us. A wonderful smoked turkey from Stan's BBQ in Issaquah, and standard turkey day fare. Lots of mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie mainly! We don't usually say a "blessing" before eating; but the boys had seen it done in the movie "Christmas Vacation". So, Garrett wanted to try - "God, thank you for all of our wonderful food, not just this one but all of them, and thank you for our loving family. And, thank you for you God. Amen." Cutest thing ever! So sweet.

I went shopping VERY early...3:30 AM...on Black Friday. Totally struck out at ToysRUS (waste of time). Woke up early just to get there before 4:00 am. Not only were they out of the Ipod Touch I was looking for, the boys are out of toy-age and there wasn't anything else there that I wanted. After all that, I left empty handed. Did pretty well at Target, Fred Meyer, Michaels, Office Depot and Bed, Bath and Beyond. I'll hopefully pick up anything else we need online!

When I got home we packed up and went to the Christmas Tree farm. We only had to look for about 30 minutes or so to find our tree. It was a bit "smallish" for my taste (see last year's post!), but it's very pretty. Both boys loved it so it was definitely THE ONE! Santa was there so the boys got to visit with him and mom got pictures. Nathan didn't really want to...but he did it for me, and for Garrett who didn't want to go alone. Garrett asked for "999 zillion dollars, but if you can't do that, then a motor scooter." Nathan said "Anything is fine, you can make it surprise." We brought our new tree home and started hanging lights and Christmas decorations. If I had my way our house would be COVERED in white lights just like the Griswolds in Christmas Vacation. Quinn got us pretty close. :)

On Saturday we headed out early for the B8 High School Football State Semifinals in Kennewick. Cusick HS, where Quinn went to school, was playing. His friend Roy's little brother Sonny is their headcoach, and our nephew Aaron is on the team (although he is sidelined with an ACL injury). It was a heartbreaker of a game. We played well but had a few costly turnovers, the other team was very good, and then the killer was a VERY bad call in the third quarter when we had finally brought the score to within two. The official negated a touchdown and took the ball all the way back to midfield. Totally turned the game around. VERY sad. They been so close now the last two years. We were looking forward to having a house full of friends and family next weekend and watching Cusick win the State Championship at the Tacoma Dome - maybe next year! :)

Sunday was very relaxing. We got nearly all of the holiday decorations up before Nathan had to go to basketball practice. Afterward we watched Polar Express, drank hot cocoa and put decorations on the Christmas tree. A WONDERFUL end to a great holiday weekend.

It is what it is...

Had to post this picture. It's my favorite from a recent backyard photo shoot Aren't they sweet (and handsome!).

I would love to update our blog every week. I REALLY, REALLY want to update every week. BUT...I don't. The farther I get in between posts, the harder it is to sit down and write. It's like I get so far behind that the thought of doing it is too daunting. But, here I am. Hopefully this will be the first of many in the next few weeks. Pretty silly to set this type of goal during the holidays though! :)

UPDATES (in no particular order)...





My 40th birthday! UGH! I don't really feel any different. :) Quinn and the boys took me to The Crabpot in Kirkland for dinner on my birthday; and then threw me a great party at home with lots of good food and family that weekend. We lucked out with weather and had a great time. Quinn also took a day off of work and helped me completely redecorate my scrapbooking room - new paint, new furniture, new layout. I LOVE IT!!! Best present ever. It makes me so happy. I really love him!Will post picture of the new room soon.





We spent our first solo week at Peterson's Waterfront in Chelan. We go every year with the Grigg side of the family (about 30 of us) in July. But, we bought a second week in a ground floor unit at the end of August for just us. It was AMAZING!! Grandma Lorrie spent the first 4 days there with us. Then Nater and I drove back on Tuesday so he could attend his middle school orientation (still CANNOT believe he is in middle school - more about that in a minute). We brought his friend Jack back with us. It was really fun for Nathan and Garrett to have a friend on vacation with us. Lots of relaxing, swimming, eating and playing. We rented a boat and took the boys inner-tubing, skiing, wakeboarding and kneeboarding. We also rented a floating trampoline. And, of course we went to Slidewaters.



Both boys played soccer. Garrett's team was the Purple Strikers. Garrett did great for his first year of outdoor soccer. He didn't know any of the other kids on the team but made friends quickly. He had so much fun every game and was really good. He has a really, really strong kick. He was also a really good goalie but didn't like getting scored on so he tried to avoid that position when he could.

Quinn co-coached Nathan's team, the Snoqualmie Devils, with Winston. Nathan had a great soccer season. He is getting so good. He really wanted to play forward but was so good and valuable in the mid-field that he and his friend Casey spent most of their time there. Nathan was our corner kick king and even scored on a corner kick during our last game. This year the team participated in the President's Cup tournament. We hadn't done that before. It was SO fun. We made it past the first two rounds but lost a heartbreaker in the quarter finals. In that last game we were definitely the better team on the field but couldn't get the ball in. Unfortunately, the other team scored during the final minute of the game. It was really the only time they got close to our goal and they snuck it in. We had a great group of boys and families on the team this year and it was by far the most fun I've had on the sidelines. Can't wait for Spring soccer!



Nathan played flag football this fall too. He wasn't going to but this was the last time Winston was going to coach and he really wanted Nater on his team. Quinn helped him coach. The team, the Rick Marshalls, won all but one regular season game. Most by mercy rule. They won the first of two championship games pretty handily but were down by 12 at half in the final game. Winston and Quinn moved Nathan to rusher on defense (in addition to full-time offense) and he was amazing. It was the turning point in the game. The other team's main receiver was at least a foot taller than all the other kids. But, with Nate putting pressure on the QB, the poor kid couldn't get the ball off. It was awesome!



FIRST GRADE AND MIDDLE SCHOOL!!! Garrett started his first full year at CVES in Ms. Kappen's first grade class. He was SO excited. He still feels like he should be in second grade (we kept him in Kindergarten for two years since he's a late summer baby!). But he's adjusting well, he's crazy smart and is reading SO good. His favorite book right now is Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It's the first book that he reads voluntarily, not because he has to for "reading minutes"!

Nathan started middle school this year. What a HUGE change. Eight classes a day, all with different teachers. He chose band as his elective and is sticking with the saxophone. He's getting really good. Nathan gets to take the bus to school with a bunch of his buddies but he has to leave the house at 6:45 am. That was a HUGE change for him. He just got his first trimester report card and got straight A's!!!!! :)

I'm sure I've missed tons that's happened since July; but now for more recent stuff...



Halloween - Garrett dressed up as a zombie punk rocker, with full-on face make-up and everything. Scary, but really cute! He went trick-or-treating with Owie and Stuart and then handed out candy at Grandma Lorrie's house. Nathan dressed up in a Scream bleeding mask with one of his black robes from a past year. This was the first year he got to go trick-or-treating without adult supervision. He went with three of his buddies and then went to a sleepover at his friend Jack's house. Quinn stayed home to hand out candy (and watch the USC vs. Oregon game!). And, the night before Halloween Quinn and I went to a charity costume party at the TPC club dressed as Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. Great friends, great cause, and lot of fun!! Plus, I think our costumes were pretty cool too!





Cool pics from a recent trip to the bike park. Nathan signed up for a mountain bike club through his middle school this fall. It was put together by the same group that ran his Compass Adventure Camp this summer. He is becoming a crazy good bike rider.