Thansgiving 2011

This year for Thanksgiving we went to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to see my parents.  It's about a 6 hour drive with a couple of stops along the way.  The boys do okay with this trip, although they are always happy when it's over and we arrive.  We left after Daniel was out of school on Wednesday and drove over.  We were met with happy grandparents and a warm dinner before heading to bed.  Thanksgiving morning it was nice to wake up and even sleep in a little.  I always enjoy watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Jeff says his favorite part is seeing Santa, knowing the end of the parade is near.  But he's gracious enough to let me watch it.  It's also great to have my mom making dinner and I get to relax a bit.  Jeff and I took a walk before dinner to prep for the eating.  Thanksgiving dinner was yummy.  We had a Fri-Chick Stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, bread, and of course pumpkin and apple pie.  Friday morning my mom and I headed out to do some Christmas shopping.  We were not one of those who got up in the middle of the night to catch the deals.  I love my sleep too much to give that up.  But we did head out and caught a couple of deals.  Friday my sister and the cousins came over to play.  The boys love seeing their cousins, and that's fun for them.  Saturday we spent with my family again.  And in the evening Jeff and I went out and did a little Christmas shopping of our own.  Sunday we headed back home.  It was a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I hope yours was too!

The Family

Daniel & I

Grandma & Sam

Sam, Grandpa & Daniel

Emma & Simon

Daniel & Sam

A Day in Eugene

One might not think a day in Eugene, OR is very exciting, but think again!  Recently we found ourselves there.  Jeff was giving a presentation for ACP on a Thursday evening, so after I picked up Daniel from school, the boys and I drove down there to join him.  Friday we had the day to ourselves.  For Duck fans, like ourselves, we knew right away that we wanted to go visit the Duck Store and the Oregon Campus.  It was a beautiful sunny day.  We enjoyed walking around.  We took a few pics to commemorate the occasion.

In Front of the "O"

In Front of a Statue: The Pioneer

The Boys & Their Giant Leaves

A Past Look

About a month ago, I attended my 20 year high school reunion from Upper Columbia Academy.  It's hard for me to believe that I've been out of high school for 20 years.  20 sounds like such a big number, and yet I really don't feel as old as it sounds.  I remember when I was in high school and saw people coming back for their 10, 20, or 30 year reunions.  I thought they were so old.  Now, I guess it's my turn to be considered old, although I certainly don't feel it.

I went a couple of days early to spend some extra time with some friends.  It was so neat to see people that I hadn't seen in a long time.   I found it very comfortable to start conversations with my former classmates, although I haven't talked to some of them in years.  It was interesting to hear about what life has been like for them over the years.  I also really enjoyed seeing the children of my classmates.  When I stop and think about it, it seems so weird that now we are raising kids and preparing them for life in high school and beyond.

Here's a look at our reunion.

Our Class at the Reunion

Me, Hannah, Tiffany & Kristin

Hannah & I