Yummy Stuff and G-Parents

Fondue any one?
Just wanted to give the kids yet another experience so we set out to buy a fondue pot from a second hand store. No one but Mom was in the mood to shop until we stopped at our first store and then Oma disappeared in isles. Yes, she is a shopper and after a couple hours we were all ready to go home…except for Oma.The kids and Mom had a good time cooking and talking, cooking and talking some more…and cooking, and then waiting…and cooking and waiting. Wow is this a slow meal. So slow that Oma finally threw some meat in the fondue pot to cook all at once, loaded up a bowl of veggies and popped those into the microwave. Yes, she had enough family bonding time and was ready to have a full belly.

Kids said that this type of meal is a keeper so we will keep the fondue pot and throw it on the table once in a while along with cooked food to keep Oma’s tummy from growling.

Geocaching with Gma and Gpa

Grma Marie and Gpa Norman have come home from their winter home in Yuma, AZ only to head further North to visit with family before their final unpacking of their home on wheels.

We spent one afternoon Geocaching with them at Dorris Ranch.We had some issues with the tree coverage and satellite connection to our gps systems. Which way?

Oh, we found most on our list.
Quite a bit of walking but the rain held off and
the scenery was beautiful.We will have to head back to Dorris Ranch during the summer to see all the trees in bloom and find the last few cashes that we missed.

Pie!

Nothing like REAL lemon pie! Gma Marie brought back fresh from the tree lemons and made us a pie.

NOMMMMY!!!!

Jo had no problem eating her piece, asking for another, trying to sneak bites off of our plates and then eating yet the last piece the following day.

She is ready for another Gma, whenever you’re ready to bake.

Is Spring Here? & YeeHaw!

Had a couple of very nice days that got all of us outside
and doing things we love.

Jo has some new bug catching gadgets that she tried out. She caught a ladybug and asked right away to google “what does a lady bug eat” so she could keep it caged for a few days and not have it die.
(raisins and a wet paper towel if you were just asking yourself)Cole of course dug out old and new baseball gear and had Oma pitching to him and running bases.

Oh how we enjoy the sunshine!

We spent the weekend with family and like always the kids played hard and we all had a good time. The Ruiz Bed and Breakfast (lunches and dinners too) is always very accommodating and very home like.

The main reason for the trip was to visit Claire who was in town for a week or so. She is a college student now in Ohio so we have not seen her in quite some time. She looked great and sounds like she is doing well. Being a college student we might send her food once in a while, we all know how it is, Claire. Regular groceries will come one day. ;O)A rare photo of "all" the kids.
Jo, Skylar, Cole, Claire, Maggie, Holden and Lanna O.

BasketballMaggie and Lanna had basketball games that
Cole and Mom got to watch.

Saturday night Dan worked the Toughest Cowboy rodeo in Portland. (He is an athletic trainer) He was able to get all of us comp tickets to watch the rodeo, which was a first for Oma and the kids.Two of the four kids grabbed quick naps during the drive and before
the festivities (their way of pre-functioning, I think)!

Who Knew?Free hats for all kids at the rodeo!

Oma…Oma…Oma…Oma was most excited about eating cotton candy. This enthusiasm has been passed along to Jo so we had two VERY happy girls!

Our seats were close.Close enough to see the power of the horses and bulls and
the talent of those who choose to climb on.

Kids favorite part was when one bull decided “not” to go back
through the gate when the ride was over. He stood and looked at
the gate then turned and trotted around the ring with his head
held high and chest puffed out to clear out all humans from
standing inside. He looked to be making sure that everyone knew
HE was the one in charge and not the other way around.

Live Music! Whiskey River,they were pretty good.Second favorite part for the kids was the concert after the rodeo.
Jo especially enjoyed this part. Her eyes were even smiling.
The girl likes music for sure.

Good, no GREAT, weekend!

Git Will – Awards – Mom’s 43

Thought we’d share the cards the kids made for Mom while she was in the hospital. Tracy and Martha stayed with the kids during this time and we were told that they offered to help with spelling but the kids said they didn’t need help.
Cole’s card:


Jo’s card:
(including a drawing of Mom in this hospital bed
and Jo next to the window)

We were also told that Cole was very thoughtful on where to place his card for Mom to find when she got home. He would place it, stand back, look and then move it, find a new place, standing back to look, think and then moving it again. This went on for some time before he finally found the perfect placement. Jo moved her card to the same area and apparently Cole walked by again and had to adjust her card to make sure it too was “perfectly placed”. (Hmmm, guess I should have taken a photo of the spot?) It was on a plant stand and was easily seen when we opened the front door. Perfect!

Awards

Jo received the Playground award for the month of February.It reads:
“This is for being a good friend to other students and
always lining up as soon as possible.”

Jo and Cole also received perfect attendance awards.
(They both have been sick in March so their perfect attendance
for the year is now over)

Mom’s 43Jo was sick on Mom’s day so Oma and Cole ran out for sushi to go. Nice meal with family followed by a brownie that Dale made for the birthday girl topped with a candle.

Life is busy, but then not

It’s been a couple busy weeks, sort of, but not all at the same time.

Jo has started to pose for photos off and on lately, which we find funny. Here she did her “Hannah Montana” pose with the crown.
Cole then had to try and of course Oma too!Mom stayed at a five star hotel for a few nights with Oma

and we wanted to show you their new Martini Bar they built

on the seventh floor.I started off with the dirty martini and three olives. My stay was two nights and three days so I wanted to make sure my strength up from the beginning. Olives are a vegetable, right?

Jo Story:
Jo’s teacher over heard Jo telling one of her friends about her Mom.
“My Mom’s is in the hospital because she had a pain in her universe.“
(Some women probably consider that to be their universe)

Mom is doing great after two and a half weeks, other than wearing pants (still a little tender). She has found that wearing sweat pants and pj bottoms for over two weeks does not help gauge her mid-section and if she should be watching her diet a little bit closer. Diet has changed again after slipping the jeans on and finding that things are a little snugger than should be.

SHOUT OUT!
To all those who helped us out while Mom had surgery and even after: from having the kids sleep over to sleeping at our home to take care of the kids; keeping each other company while doing said Mom duties as well; gifts of chocolate, cards, email messages, flowers and plants; and then the many dinners that were prepared for us and eaten by us. Not having to worry about any of these things turned out to help out so much more than we ever imagined! We cannot thank you enough and will Thank You over and over again!

Spring Photos
Thought we would share the spring photos of the kids that no one will get a copy of. We’re not going to purchase them so Mom scanned them in and removed the water-marks so we could enjoy them together.What else? Cole has had the 102 plus fever for three days now (first time missing school this year, darn the luck) but we think it might be breaking today. Jo has been going to school and having fun with her friends even though she has a small cough. Oma is working and also waiting to see how many days will be cut out of school with the lack of money that we all have.

Really, that’s about all BS Groupies.
Life is starting to move again and will be posting more often than not in weeks to come.

Cole’s Date with Oma!

Cole’s Christmas gift from Trish, Andrew & Mandy this year was a trip to the mountain on a snowboard. Another WOW!

Picked up the snowboard the night before so he practiced in the living room to get the feel for the board. Walking, laying down and getting back up, buckling and unbuckling the board AND the most important part of snowboarding the JUMP!
Though he learned that the snow is quite a bit slicker than the living room carpet.


Practice.Oma’s coworker, Brandon, came up to give both Oma and mostly Cole some private lessons. (Mom says thank goodness)

First lessons were flat land
and then a very small slope to
get a feel for the board and
how it moves.

And what Mom thought to be utmost important…
proper falling techniques.

Flat land lessons over, off to the lifts and up the mountain.
(ok, first they went to the bunny slope for a couple runs and then the larger lift)

Down The Mountain!They spent the rest of the day on the Twilight Lift and
boarding down the Rough Cut run.
(BS Groupies? This would be a Blue trail, a “more difficult” run according to the trail map)

He had a blast today! Brandon thought he would last about two full runs but what Oma figures counting the bunny lift Cole managed about 8.








Brandon informed us that as they would board down the run people on the lift overhead would cheer Cole on and others on the ground were giving some sort of boarding kudos’. Folks were asking, “How old is he?” or “What grade is he in?” I was not quite sure about all the attention until I was standing next to them at the chair lift and two young men (probably teenagers) looked at Cole and said something like “DUDE, we saw you on the mountain! Keep it up!” and then gave Cole knuckles. (Same as a high five to those who do not know what knuckles are. It’s just cooler than the old high five.)

Brandon and Cole
After Cole’s last run of the day.

You would think Cole would fall asleep on the way back home. No. He chatted a bit, played his DS and at one point said he wished he were still on the mountain snowboarding. He just wasn’t done yet.

Thank You Trimand for another gift that was a perfect fit!

And Brandon,
Dude…You Rock!
“knuckles”

Oma? Well, she did very well and is already in bed with some sort of medication in her to kill the back pain. (that’s the only place that really hurts.) She informed me that her worse wipeout was when she was walking UP the stairs inside the lodge. Yes, she fell “up” the stairs and when she tried to get up as people around her were asking if she was ok, she stumbled again! Oma says they looked at her like she was drunk. She did take a another spill by running over Cole (trying to go slow to watch him) and wound up catching her ‘vertical smile’ on the edge of her board, there’s sure to be a butt bruise, but the stairs hurt worse (perhaps its just her ego)!!