Summer's End

Can it really be true? All the signs are there...
We caught our last Bend Elks game a couple weeks ago. and last week made what will most likely be our last trip to the outdoor pool

and then last night the temperature dipped below freezing!

It is sad to see summer end, but I know the kids are anxious to see their friends at school and I have to admit it will be nice to be on a bit of a schedule again.

Goodbye summer. It was a fun one, and passed all too quickly.
Luckily Fall brings it's own fun and I'm sure we'll find more "Bryan Adventures"

Abby's Birthday Party

Abby had her birthday party on Monday, August 25th.

Afton, Clarin, Lily, Brett, Carson, and Kennedy all helped her celebrate.

Abby wanted a Strawberry Shortcake themed party, and since we found cupcake wrappers with Strawberry Shortcake on them she decided she wanted cupcakes instead of a "regular" cake.

(Yes, all the cupcakes were there at one point, just 2 eager beavers snagged theirs before the picture)

Don't Do Drugs!

I found this as I was cleaning up some of Ethan's papers the other day.

Batman

I don't know how many of you have seen "The Dark Knight", but Brad and I went with some friends the first weekend it opened. I am not a movie goer at all, but I would go see this one again. It was totally action packed and Brad described it as "exhausting." The acting was awesome the effects were awesome, the plot kept you guessing, and it was very well done! I thought it went on a little too long, just because 3 hours is a long time to sit, but the movie was great. However the movie was very dark, and not for the younger set. I would recommend seeing it on the big screen, as it just won't be the same on your television.
Anway, as I was sitting there oogling over Christian Bale, I got to thinking....

For my first date... almost exactly 19 years ago I went to the first Batman movie. Batman looked like this
and I looked like this
Now here we are 19 years later and I look... well, 19 years older and Batman looks like this????!!!!

I want to know what line of beauty products he is using!!!!

Have you seen Dark Knight?

Did YOU like it?

Do YOU know what Batman is doing to not only reverse the aging process, but to also become so dang good looking??

I want some!!!

My biggest fear

is driving down the road and seeing this sign...

my heart starts to race, I grip the steering wheel white knuckled and start darting glances from ditch to ditch, not really even paying attention to what is on the road and then I see itAhhhh!
Why do these animals insist on eating at night on the side of the road? There are acres and acres of grass to feed on... Why must they graze by the highway??
On my way up to Calgary I drove through Crowsnest Pass (in the rocky mountains) between the hours of 9 and midnight. I probably saw a half dozen of them, and on my way back driving through Oregon I saw a couple between the hours of 9 and midnight again. I survived though and never hit one... thanks to my keen eyes :D It was very stressful though which kept me awake through those last few hours.

What's your biggest fear?

Wrap it up (Aug 9-11)

OK, I've got to wrap this little vacation journal up. I've got other things to blog about and this is all old news now, but I did want to document our trip. So, to wrap it up...

HAPPY 60TH!

My dad turned 60 in July flying to Aberdeen, so we celebrated a little bit late (Aug 9).

The kids spent the day playing in the backyard and we had a bbq.These balloons were a big hit

On Saturday we had a little celebration for my niece Liza's 10th birthday.
The kids had a blast making little houses from these boxes

Who needs toys when you have a box?


Time to say goodbye to Grandma
and Grandpa too
Monday morning we made a quick trip to the Saskatoon Farm for some goodies for Brad and head out back on the road(Aug 11).

I saw this cool cowboy cut out on our way south of town on the jct of the 540 and the 22. I am sure there is a cool picture to be had here, but I just jumped out of the car and took a quick picture before I turned onto the highway. I think it turned out not too bad.

We got back to Bend around 11:30pm with only one stop by the police. Heck, I was only going 8 miles over the limit. Whatever!!

It was good to get back home and slow down a little. I feel like we've been on the run since our trip to Disney Memorial Day weekend. It's been good though. It was nice to be able to go back to Alberta and see family, as it had been 2 years since we had been back.

Now it's time to get ready for school, although I don't know when we're supposed to do that. We are trying to cram all the things we didn't get to do yet this summer into the last few days we have left.

P.S. I guess I should clarify judging by a few comments I got. I didn't get a ticket- just a "warning" and a scolding for not having my Oregon license yet (oops), and I got held up for 10 minutes!!

Happy 5th Birthday Abby!!

Abby arrived 6 weeks early 5 years ago today. We had gone in to Boston to get my blood pressure checked since I had been in the hospital earlier in the week with high blood pressure and they wanted to follow up. The master plan was to go in have it checked and enjoy a picnic at Jamaica Pond. However, things had turned from bad to worse as they decided to induce me that day (Sunday). Brad frantically drove back to Foxboro and dropped the kids off (with friends) at church in their picnic clothes and then returned to Boston later that afternoon. I kept asking the nurses to delay the induction since things had progressed quickly when I had been induced with Elise and I wanted Brad to be back in time for the delivery. As it turned out Abby took her time arriving and wasn't born until around 11:30pm that evening. I told the nurse that I just wanted her to be 5lbs, but she didn't quite make it at 4lb3oz and spent the next 3 weeks in the hospital.

Here she is at 2 days when she still had to be intubated

Here she is at 6 days. We were so happy when they took the tube out and we could hear her cry.

3 months 1 year

2 years
3 years

4 years old- first day of preschool Here she is at 5. Still tiny, but she has finally broken the 30 lb mark. Whoo Hoo!
Now she is off to Kindergarten on Sept 2nd and it super excited. I know she's going to do great!