Snow shoeing

We headed to Hoodoo to go do a a little Snowshoeing at Ray Benson Snow park. It was nice to see that there was actually quite a bit of snow on the mountains as it has been a pretty mild winter thus far. The ski resort, tubing hill and snow park wasn't too busy when we got there mid morning but by the time we were leaving in the afternoon it was madness w/ the New Years Party starting to get underway.

 

 

It was actually quiet on the snowshoeing trails. I don't think we even passed anyone.

 

It was a clear and sunny day, the parking lot and then up on the top of the trail was a bit windy, but otherwise very enjoyable.

 

The camera is all focused on our big ole selfie faces but we were trying to capture the sign behind us.

 We were snowshoeing on the Pacific Coast Trail for awhile.

Christmas 2018

Christmas Morning

My new necklace from Morgan!

 

Christmas Breakfast Casserole w orange creamsicle drink

Personalized game controllers from each other

 Mo got her instant Pot and Jaxon got OSU Nike shoes

Kylee received snow gear!

 

The aftermath - another beautiful Christmas

 

 

Christmas Ready

Making the traditional gingerbread houses w Jaxon. 

Parent win when he expressed how cool it was to learn how to make the pumpkin pies for thanksgiving and now the gingerbread houses for Christmas from scratch!

Our barn cat

Just helping Mitch hang Christmas Lights

Dawson playing Santa

Painters

 

These paint parties are so fun!

I can barely draw a stick figure but I end up w a painting that actually resembles

what it's supposed to look like!

This one was at Dry Fields Cider in Redmond

 



 



See - you can totally tell it's a big red barn in a snowy field!

Pulling Teeth

 

He's a tough kid and he asked that Mimi pull his first tooth!

21

We got to steal Ethan away on his 21st birthday for lunch and drinks.

He loves his mint chocolate birthday cakes!

24

Love this birthday girl of ours. Its crazy to think about how old she really is, it all just seems like just the other day!

I found legit old school Power Puff Girls wrapping paper at the Goodwill! She loved it!

 Celebrating Morgan

 Morgan found this coat for sale through the Marketplace, she had shown it to me about a week before her birthday and had been wanting it but wouldn't let herself spend the money on it. So Kylee and I went on a secret mission to Bend to meet w the previous owner and got it for her for her birthday!

She loves the Jello pretzel dessert for her birthday cake!

Christmas tree hunting

We decided to try hunting down our own Christmas Tree this year.

With permit in hand we headed to Sisters into the Deschutes National Forest.

Thankfully it wasn't too cold or snowy because we stopped several times and hiked

around looking for the perfect tree.

 





 We liked the fullness and softness of the Noble Fir.

Finally along the Metolius River we found it!

It was a really fun time, Jaxon was totally into it, he even did the majority of hand sawing.

We liked the tree, it didn't look too big out in the wilderness and if was nice and full.



Carrying out our tree.





He's a little happy about the tree he bagged! I think he misses hunting!



Thanksgiving 2018

Making pumpkin pies on Wednesday

 

Originally I decided that since the majority of us were working on Thanksgiving that we would wait until the weekend or maybe just let it pass on by. But then I worried that I shouldn't let the importance of Thanksgiving and being w family be skipped, but shared w Jaxon. So very last minute I let the kids know thanksgiving , albeit small, was on.

 



Jaxon really enjoyed learning how to make pies, telling him how Grandpa Dale prided himself on making the flakiest crusts,(wish I had the recipe, but I really don't think it was written down), although I prefer the ease of rolling out the Pillsbury ones, and how Grandma Ginger would make the pretty edges on the pie crusts

 

Thursday morning after getting home from work I helped Mitch and Jaxon lay out the making of dinner plans and then went to bed. At 4 pm when I woke they had the Turkey, stuffing, gravy, steamed broccoli, cranberry, olives and of course pumpkin pie- just our faves.

 



Morgan picked up the Thanksgiving shift at the hospital,

which made it nice working the holiday w family

Dawson's Day

I got to spend the whole day w the birthday boy and his mamma.

Dawson and me along the river.

We started out by taking a hike along the portion of Crooked River

that runs through Smith Rock State Park.

It was a beautiful day

 

A couple of cuties sneaking a selfie on my phone

 



Dawson chose to go to Mountain Air, a trampoline park, for his Birthday. Lots of fun!



Ethan, Kaleb and Morgan

 

Opening presents and having Birthday Cheesecake to finish up a great day