Trip to Medford

We made the trek down south to visit our besties in Medford. Soooo incredible It was like an episode right out of "The Country Mouse and the City Mouse"... especially for our kids and dog, who live with sidewalks, leashes, cars, buses, stores and fences. The Bury family lives with acres, four wheelers, barn cats, a revolving door of livestock,  running free, driving long distances to buy the farm milk. It's SO AWESOME and honestly, Kyle and I did have a moment on their front porch that went something like this... "Should we sell it all and move somewhere like this?"... :) It's a beautiful life, that's for sure. The only thing better then the lifestyle, are the people. So many special moments with our favorite people on earth!

Sommer and Marcus are now BFF's

Hair time

Marin smothering their doggy with love

Barn kitty

Monopoly

Arts and crafts

Protecting the ranch

Jewel assuring Maddie that she will keep
her safe on the four wheeler

Maddie being brave!

I don't need a nap, Mom! Really!

Soul sisters

He got more pics with her than I did!

The Fantastic Four

See what I'm saying?! 

Glimpses of life

Chaperoning the middle schoolers' bowling!

Out for ice cream after excellent teacher conferences!

Look at this sweet thing

A year later, she's still crazy for the chickens

Morning wrap up 

Sisters snuggling as they chat up their PE teacher

Brothers sharing air pods for their fave podcast

Poor hardworking Dad...
tiredness = drinking coffee from the Mom mug

Bottle return 

Marcus thrilled to be this near a police motorcycle

Apology note to the busdriver
(#2 for those keeping track)
OHMYWORD
I-C-U-P!!! ("I have now learned" that getting the
whole bus to join in gets you in trouble)

As reported from 2nd grade "Name: Marcus is cool"

Winnie's recovery from spay surgery

Pre-braces: beautiful

With-braces: beautiful

She feels sensitive with the cone,
so she's snuggling Marcus' coat.

Their apple juice is (1) a large pour (2) looking like beer

Gosh. More handsome every day!

Happy birthday to me!

I totally thought I was already 43... Like the last six months I have been saying I'm 43... So now that I actually have TURNED THE CORRECT NUMBER, I have a feeling it will feel like a long "year" :)

We had a busy soccer Saturday, and then a fun dinner out to Laurelhurst Market, and a homemade lemon meringue pie that Kyle made... We got to share dessert with Nana and Poppy who were here watching the kids during our birthday date!

All in all, special day filled with the ones I love! So thankful to be alive!

This is the Day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it...
Psalm 118:24

What a beautiful pie!

Free birthday champagne, and birthday BACON!

The most delicious oysters

Emo picture capturing my newest gift, a
sweet necklace from Maddie

Marcus' gift to me: hugs and Milk Duds

Air hockey with Nana (not pictured)

Poker with Poppy

At my birthday breakfast with friends, Mothers Bistro gifted me a
free slice of fudge cake. I don't hate this idea :)

Happy Halloween

We have another year of individual costumes (meaning the group theme has not been revived, a moment of silence while I grieve please). Still a VERY fun year, made even more fun with friends joining us for trick or treating around our neighborhood!

Marin: Guardian Angel

Maddie: Doctor

(funny story about this... cashier at Costco asked her what her costume was going to be, she says "Doctor", he says "oh really, not a Nurse?" (side eye)... she says "no, a Doctor", he says "oh, is that because your mom here is a Doctor?" (winking at me), she says "no, actually my mom is an Engineer", he sputters and realizes he had perhaps judged us prematurely, including some sort of swear about us actually being Bad A$$ women... it was both funny and an interesting interaction that gave me and Maddie great material for our conversation riding home. First off, how sometimes people expect women to be a certain thing (that's on them). Secondly, how it's OUR job to not place our identities in our careers or labels, and be confident in who God made us to be regardless of whether our title does or does not impress someone (that's on us)... also who knew Halloween costumes would cause me to get on my soap box, ha ha!!

Max: Dex (a character from his favorite book series, Keeper of the Lost Cities)

Marcus: Swedish Viking

Did you know I had a dream that my kids would be "M&M's" (because like I mentioned earlier we USED to do cute group costumes, and all my kids start with M). I feel like I missed the boat here, and I'm never getting over it.

But, lookie here... Marin's cute friend Sophia created a plan for all their friends to be M&M's for their school costume day, and LO AND BEHOLD we have a group of mostly grown children dressed as my dream. They are adorable!!

Also! Our elementary school had their first annual Trunk or Treat Harvest Festival... Even my big kids wanted to come (except Maddie then decided to stay home because she heard none of her friends were coming - but then when I saw three of her best friends were there IN COSTUME - I took selfies with them and sent them to her. I'm so nice. I only feel 2% guilty for reminding her how much fun she could have had (is that also called rubbing it in?)

Halloween festivities were topped by trick-or-treating and party at our house, with some of our friends from church. So thankful to have these wonderful friends in our lives!

Look at the Starbucks themed trunk!!!

I mustachio a question

Kyle dressed as a Husky coach he is
currently disgruntled with :)