MERRY CHRISTMAS
TO ALL OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY-
WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Lynden Light Parade

Tractors and lights - what more could you hope for?

Chase thought he had gone to heaven. Our family has enjoyed this parade for the past few years. You show up a few minutes before it starts, set up your chairs, break out the hot chocolate and settle in for a very cold sometimes rainy parade. Semis - tractors - cars - horse & buggy's -you name it it's probably in the parade.

This has to be my favorite.
Look close and you will notice a Donkey in the back. The car does not actually have an engine - the donkey is pushing it and the guy up front steers it like a car. I am so glad I don't own a donkey, because Ryan thinks this is a great idea!

The kids loved it when the fire trucks blew their loud horns! This one is an old one so it was not as loud, but still very cool to look at.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Who would have thought....................

Let's go back to this summer when Grandma Karen and Papa Bear were visiting us here in Washington. We were downtown Fairhaven enjoying walking around the shops when we ended up in Village books. Taylor picked up a copy of Twilight and that's pretty much were it all started - oh ya - back up just a bit, Grandma Karen bought Taylor the copy of Twilight and that's were it all started. Taylor has always hated to read big books. She was a start a book and never finish it type reader. I used to struggle to get her to sit down and complete her reading minutes for school but, lately I have had to ask here to come out of her room where she is reading and join the family for a few minutes. She quickly became captivated with the Twilight characters. She would talk about them like we all knew who they were (no one else in our house has read the books). Seeing the movie did help.

When she found out that Forks was a real place and then to find out that it was in Washington...That about sent her over the edge. She soon started plotting her trip to Forks. After bending Dads ear (who loves road trips and exploring) they both began to try and squeeze in a trip before the weather got much worse. The trip for us was only about 4 hours and a ferry ride. Very doable! We had planned to surprise Taylor and just start driving, but of course plans kept changing and we were not sure if we could go at all. Then Ryan came home Friday and said he did not have to work Saturday as planned - ----Should we go!!! We loaded the car Saturday morning and were on our way to the Ferry by 7:00 am that morning. Of course we had to talk Grandma and Grandpa into going with us -after all they had listened to Taylor all these months too. I am so glad we took the trip. It was very much needed R&R and tons of fun for the whole family.The area is absolutely gorgeous and the time we spent together is priceless. I would recommend a road trip for everyone. Enjoy the pictures and maybe some of you will end up there too.
P.S. I might have to read the books now (ssshhhhh)

Taylor found this creepy mossy tree doorway on our hike to the falls.

I wish I took better pictures. I love water falls. The hike was only about 1.5 miles. Chase even walked most of the way.

We were all pretty wet and muddy after this hike.
Good thing we were on our way home.

We found this HUGE tree just standing alone.

My Dad is 6'2" if that gives you any perspective.

It seemed to go on forever up into the

sky.

More Twilight adventures...................

We passed lake on the way to Forks that was just amazing (Crescent Lake I think?)

There was a sign for some falls so we decided to get out and hike for a bit. Very cool mossy forest. Once again there are ruts on the sides of the road in front of the sign.

Too funny. Who would have ever thought!

This is one of the islands you can see from First beach. The view was breath taking!! A great place to visit Twilight or no Twilight.

Taylor and I enjoying that the sun came out for a minute.

These pictures are not in chronological order - but you get the idea.

Here we are at First Beach in La Push. The weather once again was foggy, but it did lift later and was a gorgeous day. The tide was coming in so the waves kept creeping closer and closer. I had to jump up on the logs a few times to avoid getting soaked. Chase just kept saying, WHOA!!! As you can see the locals are taking full advantage of "being on the map"

We chose to stay at the hotel below. I have to mention that the rules for our room included, No smoking, No pets and No cleaning fish in your room. Gotta love small towns. It was a two room, full living room, full kitchen for $75.00. Like I said - gotta love small towns.

This is what Taylor looked like all weekend after she raided the Souvenir shops.

Jacob sweatshirt, Edward button.

Leaving on our adventure-

A couple from out of town opened this store in Forks selling - yep- you guessed

it Twilight stuff!!!! I didn't know the history behind Forks, so it was very interesting to find

out they existed before Twilight.
All of the landscaping on the side of the road by the Forks sign is now
just tire tracks. I wonder how many people have stopped? You can't come all this way and not
stop. There is even a plank so you can walk right up to the sign without climbing. Taylor was thrilled.


This picture starts our adventure to Forks. We went from Keystone to Port Townsend by ferry -then drove the rest of the way to Forks. Chase loved the boat. It was very foggy so you couldn't see a whole lot on the way over, but they did see a huge Seal eating his lunch while trying to avoid the seagulls that were dive bombing him for a snack.

XOXOXOXO

This makes it all worth it!!!!

It's all in the box......................

So what do you do on a Rainy Sunday afternoon???
Of course you haul in a box from the garage and make it into a
new condo for your kids.
It's still all in the box - you buy a gift and they play with the box. I'm thinking this Christmas - huge refrigerator box (minus the refrigerator) the perfect gift! I think this box has been in our living room for almost two weeks now and they play with it everyday. I say "they" because not only do Chase and Taylor play in it - I have also found a few other adults that will remain nameless in there as well - you just can't help but get in the box! just in case you are curious - we got the box from a friend to put our large mirrors in - we can't claim the 50" flat screen - we just want the box................

Chase's new hobby is to "read" the toy magaiznes we are getting in the mail this holiday season. After he scans the magazine for up to an hour he will sit down and point out all the things he wants me to buy! He turns every page - comments on every toy and then settles on the ones worthy to buy.

I am hoping for short term memory loss Christmas morning. I am really enjoying this age of exploration and discovery - I love to see them grow and develop new skills and personality. One of a kind - just the way I like them!

~~~~~ 6 Random Facts ~~~~~

The Rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you http://www.kbennettphotography.blogspot.com/
2. Post the rules on your blog (this is what you are now reading).
3. Write 6 random things about yourself (see below).
4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.


Here you go - Everything you never thought you wanted to know:

1. I am terrified of water. I couldn't sleep all night after watching "The Guardian". Yes, I live in Washington - more water than I ever wanted!!!!
2. My new passion is Swedish Pancakes - if you haven't tried them you really need toooooo
3. I love gadgets. I think there should be a gadget for everything!
4. I hate surprises. It kills me not to know.
5. I am a Virgo - that pretty much says it all don't-cha-think.
6. I want a dog, but I haven't found one that doesn't shed, bark or poop.

Now it's your turn I tag..........Elissa, Brittany, Rocky (if she ever checks hers), Jennifer Rand,
and Bonnie J.
(I don'tknow how to do the linky thing -sorry)

Trick or Treat

Here's the whole gang on Halloween. I think this was the first year that we

all dressed up. It was a "Hippy" theme for our Church trunk or treat party - as you can see I was the only one that stuck to it......Mike Meyers......

This is the new don't take my picture hand.

I don't even take that many pictures and

he still hates it.

The Duck Pond was where Chase spent most of his time.

How many ducks can I fit in one net???? and how wet can I get before someone tells me to stop?????

Taylor and some family friends (Philip & Ilene) ready to go play in Fairhaven.

Chase was sad he couldn't go with the big kids :0(

Pumpkin Results

Do I really have to tell you who's pumpkin this is????

Taylor wanted to paint - since her first carving did not come out as planned.

Chase had to paint since he was completely disgusted by the pumpkin guts.

Painting kept him busy long enough for all of us to enjoy the moment.

BOO

So, here we are so excited for Chase to be old enough to "WANT" to carve a pumpkin.

I should have known that he was not going to be excited when we had to talk

him into even getting a pumpkin at all!!!!

Let's just say he liked the knives better than the pumpkin.

Here is his total disappointment with what is actually inside a pumpkin. All I could make out was EEEWWWHHH...........YUCK..................MESS.....................

For being such a boy at most things - he sure doesn't like the feeling of pumpkin guts.

Ryan, trying to hide his idea so we won't steal it.

Like we wanted a big Kiss face on our pumpkins too.

Taylor picked a very unique pumpkin this year and is trying to figure out how exactly she is going to carve it. She ended up doing a dog and didn't like it - so she took over my pumpkin. What Mom's won't do for their kids :0)

A few thoughts for your day -

My sister and I attended an Oprah "Live your Best Life" conference in Seattle about 4 yrs. ago and I just came across a binder Oprah gave each of us. This quote came from the section
"You are Co-Creating your life.":

"I read and walk for miles at night along the beach.......searching endlessly for someone wonderful who would step out of the darkness and change my life. It never crossed my mind that that person could be me."
Anna Quindlen


From the section "Take your Glory and Run":
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Flash Back

I found the bath picture of Chase first so I had to start digging through scrapbooks to

find one of Taylor (aren't computers wonderful). I found this one that I have always loved, so I scanned it in and now I have a set of pictures for the bathroom. They even kind of look alike.

I love bath time!!!!!

Tub Time

I have always wanted B&W's of my kids bath pictures. I found theses two

pictures that I am going to scrapbook in a 12 x 12 frame and put

up in the bathroom. They were even close to the same age

when the pictures were taken.

Picasso..........

Taylor loves to draw! She is constantly caring her sketch book around or taking it in the car. These are two pictures that she showed me the other day. I have loved to watch her talent develop

She is also in an art class at school that she is just LOVING! I guess when you get into the higher grades they let you start thinking for yourself and come up with your own ideas. Taylor has always enjoyed her own ideas more than others :0) so, she has taken this class and run with it.

Labor Day

So how many people can say that they went to the lake on Labor day and were the only ones there???? There are so many lakes around here that you can actually do that. We took the backpack for Chase and packed some lunches and headed for Church Lake. It is on the way to Mt. Baker, but you turn off before you get there and head up a dirt road until that ends then you hike the rest of the way in. The lake was so clear and cold (straight glacier run off)

There is another lake lake between these trees and down the hill. As we were standing on the top of the ridge looking down a rainbow appeared between the trees. I don't think I have ever looked down on a rainbow before. Pretty amazing.

Yes, Ryan failed to tell us about the marsh lands we had to maneuver to get to the lake. We even made it through (barely) without any of the kids falling in. Taylor is usually drawn like a magnet to these situations. It was a great day - I wish we could do this more often.

1st Day of Middle School

How bad is this - I am just posting the first day of school pictures almost a month late.

As you can see Taylor is into the "Save the Planet" mode. She would have made a great hippy. She wants Grandpa to save his old VW Van for her first car.

Let's hope this is just a phase.......................

She loves school and is doing great. She started playing Volleyball on Saturdays (clinic's), but can't play for the school until 7th grade, she can't wait!