2010 Wrap Up!

 Both kids still believe and were excited to see Santa at the mall this year.

They came out of their rooms dressed in their best to see him too!

Our snow = rain.

Doesn't stop the kids from getting outside to enjoy a Christmas present or two.

HELEN!

A few old (crap, that could almost be literal now) co-workers/friends met up for dinner to see and visit with Helen. (center)  Helen is the reason Cole & Jo call Jill "Oma" as it means Mom in Korean.

Tom, Tina, Brian, Erica, Jo, Cole and Helen.

We LOVE Helen and were sure glad to see her along with catching up with all of them.

New Year South

As we drove to our southern New Years destination we stopped off at Gma Marie's and Gpa Norman's for lunch and a finial farewell as they have now flown South for the rest of winter.  It was good to see them once again and Pete's Drive-in food is always yummy!

The rest of the drive we snaked through the back roads to do a little Geocaching with Oma as she LOVES this activity.

This one was at a fire station.  The treasure was inside the toy fire truck.

The guard rail and bridge caches are usually not hard to find but this one could have been fatal!

Jo was able to locate and grab the cache with ease.  Cole on the other hand fell off the edge while putting it back but Oma was right there to grab an arm and stop his decent.  (it was really only 5' or so off the ground so we all got a good laugh)

Cole joined the club!

That would be the "I've touched an electric fence and it hurt" club.

Looking back this might not have been a good day for Cole to get out of the car while we cached!  No one said that their was an electric fence near this cache but  the Little Man reached out and touched the wire. ZAP!

We didn't have to amputate and he too was able to laugh about it later that day.

  

Walking the Dogs

We arrived in time to take the dogs for their usual walk

Connie, Jo, Rachelle, Cole, Tye and Dasher.

Then headed in to play some games!

Pictionary is a hard game to play PG while having a few drinks and playing with people you have known for over twenty years.  We have lots of information about each other that could have been drawn for clues.  But we managed to keep it PG...well all but the word "vibrate". (I'm not talking about it any more) The kids had a really good time playing this game.

What did you do at 10pm New Years Eve?

We went sledding! (top photo: Jo, bottom photo: Cole)

It started to snow so we all grabbed appropriate gear including flashlights and headed to the front yard to sled!  Janis pulled her truck around too for some extra lights on the hill.  This was GREAT!

11:55pm!

I think their faces say it all, don't you?

But I'll tell you any way.

Oma: Do I really need to stay up for midnight, really?

Jo: No, I'm not tired, I can stay awake. (was asleep a min after the picture)

Cole: I'm fine, I'm having fun Mom.

Our Smoke and Toast of 2010!

Sheri, Rachelle, Tina, Connie and Janis.

Welcome 2011!

We rang you in just right, again.
(I should add: Rang the New Year in BETTER as I smoked a smaller cigar this year and made it all night without praying to the porcelain god.)

Christmas 2010

Christmas morning started early, and I mean EARLY!

All were sleeping, or so I thought, when all of a sudden I was woken by Oma saying loudly next to my head, "GO BACK TO BED, IT'S ONLY 3am!"   Nothing says Merry Christmas like being startled awake like that!

The kids had already headed to their stockings, as they know they do not have to wait for anyone to open those, only to be ushered back to bed for a few more hours of sleep.

Both tried go back to sleep but the excitement kept them asking every five min or so, "How much longer until we can get up?"  Oma finally cuddled with Cole, and I with Jo, to keep them both in bed and helped them fall back to sleep.  Cole did have his Oregon Duck Christmas hat on his head from his stocking as he slept from 4am on.

Can you believe they slept until 8am after that and only that late because we woke them up as we were excited to start in and they were still sleeping!

Many gifts and lots of excitement!

Hats, balls, beads, night vision goggles (which are way cool by the way) and a movie camera (which I posted the first video on the previous post).

Cole has wanted this hat for two years now.

We think Oma wears it well!

Go Oma, Go Oma!

Oma received some Geocaching gifts and was happy!!

Yes, even a Geocaching Christmas ball.  Really?  Sheesh.

Star Wars & Littlest Pet Shops are what they love!

Lots and lots of smiles this day.

 

We headed to the Young Belmont's for Christmas Pizza and family visiting.  Jo took this 25 minute opportunity to try out her new pillow, blanket and yes, eye mask!  Only took minutes for her to fall asleep after she pulled her mask over her eyes.  She has worn them every night since and loves them.

 

Over the river and through the woods to Geocaching spots.

Oma and Cole jumped out in the rain for a couple caches here and their on the drive up.

  

Grandma Marie sporting

her new shirt!

She loves this shirt!  We do too.

(If I have to explain this picture.  "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead")

Cousins, all wearing something from the days loot.

Jo, Hannah, Cole & Derian!

Thinking I might steal Derians Wonder Woman shirt.

Merry Christmas BS Groupies!

Christmas Close!

Kids Dance!

We headed to the kid's school for a dance but no one else was there.  Hmm, guessed we missed the paper that said it was canceled?

We were all dressed up too!

So off we went to drink some Hot Cocoa at our local hang out.  Whip cream on top too!  (we went all out folks)

Back home to cut a rug!

Cole boogied with me and even danced a slow one.

Christmas 2010

Just thought I would share the Advent calendar I grew up with and the next generation is growing up with.

It's always fun to see how the kids hang the ornaments.

Do you see Joseph, Jesus & Mary in the center of the tree?

Or as Cole pointed out to Jo. 

"This one has a baby, some woman praying and a guy hiking."

I love Cole.

Christmas Eve day we spent on Skype (online video chat program) with our East Coast Family.  We played Mario Cart on our Wii against Andrew, Mandy, Trish and Paul.  Very VERY good time!

Here are the kids holding Trish on their lap.  Trish even smile for the photo.

(And no, Cole does not were glasses now, they are 3D glasses that he removed the lens from.  Andrew, he is taking after you.)

 

Trish travels all over the world now with her job.  This year she bought everyone some thing from Singapore

Here Cole is sporting his new shirt and meditation balls.

Dinner with our Old Neighbors.

Old Jim, Me, Jo, Cole, Kristy, Francis and Dale.

Photo by: Jill

Back home so the kids could open their gifts to each other.

They know what each other likes!

Oma and I watched a movie until the kids were fast asleep.

And then Santa came to visit!

And filled all the stockings too!

The next morning Jo found her video camera from Santa!

And by golly, Santa accidentally hit the record button while he was putting gifts under the tree!

Jo thinks she might be the only one in the world that has video footage of

Oma's Birthday & Holiday Stuff!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OMA!

We ate dinner with Dale & Francis to also celebrate Francis's Birthday as they are close together.  Francis made cake and for the kids and we put candles in it and sang.

Tree Time

A lot tree this year as time was passing buy with little time to head to the farms.   Cole said he knew of a tree lot and directed the driving to said lot.

The kids had fun getting the tree ready for the indoors.

And of course all decorated within an hour!

Decorations are still a little clustered here and there but this year it was purposeful clustering by the kids.  For example each of us has a Bear holding our initial ornament.  Those four ornaments are hanging in a row on the tree, clustered if you will.  Our tree looks GREAT!

Christmas Parade!

We headed over to Dale & Francis's again for lunch and visiting with their whole family followed by the Christmas parade in the rain.

The kids and I were thankful that it wasn't bitter cold with the rain, it was just Oregon rain.  AND A LOT OF IT!

Oma and Francis

Thought I should include a photo of these two watching the parade too.

Cookie Competition with the Lampitts!

Jo and Oma making the sugar cookies.  First time for both making this type of batter.

And we are decorating!

If you read last years posts we decorated Trees, this year it was a ginger bread shape.

(2009, Xmas keeps on coming! if you wanted to check out last years contest)

THEY ARE AWESOME!

1 = Martha; 2 = Tracy; 3 = Jo & Mom (tied)

Congrats Martha.  Psst, it tasted good too.

The Lampits gifts to the kids.

Don't they look GREAT?!

Did you see Jo's theme in these photos?

She hardly takes them off and yes, she falls asleep in them!

Happy Little Reindeer She Is.

Cole and Jo want to say:

HAPPY HOLIDAYS BS GROUPIES!

Turkey Everyone!

Twas the night before Turkey and all through the house,

everyone was eating cornbread and chilly to keep them warm through the night.

With a Grandma by their side the children were spinning a beer bottle,

daring to make elephant movements and monkey sounds.

After all, what are Grandmas for?

The next morning came with a rush out the door.

Turkey Stuffer Walk was what was in store.

Our numbers attached and the runners had passed off we walked our 3.1 miles.

OH WHAT A BLAST!

(It's not suppose to rhyme people, I'm just filling in captions for you)

With the walk all over the kids took a swim.

Two hours of waves, slides and splashing kept the kids with a grin.

Back to the house for Turkey to eat.

With paper plates in our hands we filed through our food line.

HEY we all fit in one room, at one time!

We ended our time together watching the BAND!

Singing and Rocking Out was a Blast.

(again, did I need to rhyme for you?)

THAT People was our Thanksgiving weekend.

We have wonderful memories as both sides of our family gathered for the very first time.