PORTLAND!

The idea came nearly a year ago, but it didn't start to materialize until three months ago when I was on the phone with my amazing friend who had just had her third baby. We had gone to our first Time Out For Women years ago in Las Vegas, and we wanted to go again. The presenters we wanted to see were going to be in Portland the first week of November. Could we really make this happen? Well, thanks to our awesome and supportive husbands, we sure did...and it was everything we had possibly dreamed. Since I'm good at making lists (to do lists, shopping lists, packing lists, wish lists) I'll tell you about this trip with a few lists.

5 Things I Did For The First Time:

5. Relied entirely on public transit.

4. Left my kids home with Jeff for an extended period of time.

3. Shopped and ate in unique and eclectic downtown Portland.
2. Bought tickets from a scalper.

1. Went ice skating!

5 Cool Things About Portland:

5. Everyone (no exceptions) that we talked to was a) friendly and b) proud of their city.
4. The city is very clean.
3. The fall colors, the prevalence of green, and the trees were beautiful.

2. They reuse, reduce, recycle everything. We had to get used to sorting our trash.

1. The public transportation is cheap, easy, and convenient.

5 Favs About Time Out

5. The super cute totes!

4. Laughing and crying and learning at maximum levels with 2700 other women.
3. Meeting, talking to, and getting photos with the presenters.

2. Being there with Brandi.

1. The things I learned and the feelings I brought home with me.

Mariama Kallon of Sierra Leone. One of the most amazing stories I have ever heard.

Hilary Weeks, probably the #1 reason we went. We love you Hilary!

S. Michael Wilcox, another big favorite. He opens the scriptures like no one I have ever heard before.

Emily Watts. This woman knows exactly what it is like to be a mom. Super funny.

Lets just say that while we were grateful for the awesome public transit, we never became experts of navigation.

5 Hip Things About The Trailblazers Game:

5. Ending up at an NBA game without planning on it.

4. Buying tickets from a scalper.

3. Finding out our tickets were on the second to last row of the upper bowl. We could almost touch the ceiling.

2. Brandi's foam finger.

1. The Trailblazers won!

One of my favorite people in the world, my Aunt Lisa, was there with her daughter. It was so fun to have some familiar faces, and someone to help us out with the big city and airport navigation. Besides, they saved us prime seats at Time Out, whew!

5 Worst Things About Our Trip:

5. Paying $81 for short term parking because we didn't know there was such thing as long term parking (why were there no signs notifying us of this legalized practice of robbery at the airport?)

4. Trudging through the rain of Portland downtown with one small travel umbrella that kept flipping inside out.

3. Getting a little confused when it came to security measures at the airport. See, we waited in the looong security line, read all the signs and warnings, then proceeded to the security belt where we lugged our giant heavy suitcase onto the conveyor belt only to be told we had items that were not permitted. We informed the security attendant that we intended to check the luggage. He then told us that we were supposed to have already done that. At this point, we had to be escorted out of security because of our contraband, find a place to check our luggage, and then go through security again. Don't worry, we finally made it to our gate.

2. Throwing up on the plane. I got soooo sick on the return flight. I couldn't even open my eyes. It was the longest two hours of my life. I just wanted to land. When we finally hit the ground, it came. I was fumbling for the bag in the seat pocket in front of me. I ended up with a minor mess and had to change my pants, but I felt much better afterward. Just super embarrassed.

1. It ended.

Overall, I am a little exhausted today. It was an amazing experience. I haven't flown in nearly a decade. I haven't gone on a trip for myself like that ever. I haven't had so many insights in a very long time. I feel like my perspective on life and on motherhood has shifted back into the proper place. I feel like my trials and struggles are minor and can certainly be overcome. I feel so grateful to Jeff for letting me go, for my awesome kids and everything they teach me, for Brandi and our long and rich friendship, and for my testimony. I hope to visit Portland again.

Super Spooky

I see no use in keeping up pretenses. I'm just not a fan of Halloween. I guess I don't really get it. What are we celebrating, anyway? What is the purpose of this so-called holiday? As a result of my lack of enthusiasm, my kids end up getting the shaft when it comes to Halloween. It's a good thing they have a couple of good Grandmas to help make things a little more spooky. We were off to the local pumpkin patch a week before Halloween...in the freezing rain.

Super-hero Levi tried to find one for everyone he knew.

The morning of Halloween, both Daisy and Levi performed with their dance groups at a local craft fair.

That same morning, a spooky package arrived from Grandma. Woohoo!

Levi and his fellow skeletons were the highlight of the performers...of course.

Isaac had a good time lovin' on Aunt Marcy who drove all the way here for Grandma's big annual Halloween Party.

In addition to Bingo, the party featured Face Painting, a cupcake walk, cookie decorating, cousins, dinner, and good fun.

...and some super silly glasses.

Dad was at the clinic when we went trick-or-treating, so we stopped by the hospital and trick or treated at each department. The kids loved it, and so did I.

Happy Campers

A while ago we got a very happy phonecall! Grandpa and Grandma bought a trailer for us to use so we can have a place to stay when it's time to go camping. So we were off at the first chance we got. Upon arrival, Isaac immediately assumed the role of wood sorter. He would stack, unstack, and restack this little pile of logs all day long.

Grandpa found this cool tree that doubled as a buckin' horse for the boys.

Levi was Grandpa's right-hand-man when it came to driving the backhoe.

Chopping wood for the fire required lots of helpers.

We love love love the trailer! It was so much fun to have our own little suite for camping!

Daisy helped Grandpa and Grandma create this grain trough for the deer out of a fallen tree.

Watching Grandpa heat his brand in the fire and then brand these logs for benches was pretty cool for all of us. The logs then also became buckin' broncs.

Riding the four-wheelers are always a camping hit. Daisy became quite the little driver.

Grandpa was teaching us how to skip rocks on the pond. Skipping rocks were in short supply, but splashing rocks could be found in abundance.

Camping with Grandpa and Grandma in our new trailer was perfect! The mountain was giving us its final fall splendor and we enjoyed every minute of it. With Isaac's help, we kept the fire going, stayed dirty, and ate lots of junk food. We can't wait to head back up next season!