Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday tidbits

I tell you what, Ashley can come up with the silliest, funniest, most bizarre things to say. She's a total corker with a whit that will be both a blessing a curse.
I can hardly wait!
While cruising around downtown Portland Saturday night, we passed a Ferrari parked on the street. While Jake and Isaiah were busy eyeballing it, talking about its performance features and other manyly-car related talk, Ashley asked me what kind of car it was. I answered "It's a super fast Ferrari." She looked at it a bit longer then shrugged her shoulders and decided it wasn't all Daddy and Uncle Isaiah were making it out to be.
Midget's not easily impressed.
I like that!
About 2 blocks later we were stopped at a light, and when it turned green, Jake took off. Ashley squealed from her seat, clapped her hands and said "Our car is like a Ferrari too, Daddy! It's super duper fast!"
If only, Ashley. If only.

Wave park

This morning Ashley told me her new and improved plans for when she grows up and takes on the big, bad word.
Her love affair with the moon started earlier this year, and continues to grow. She's told us numerous times of her plans to visit the moon with Grandma one day. She even got a spiffy bomber-style jacket from Aunt Katie.
It's been no surprise when she says things like "I'm going to be an astronaut when I get big." But lately she's spicing it up a bit. Seems being a regular astronaut isn't enough for our Midget. She's gone from just an astronaut, to being a doctor for big people on the moon (as opposed to a mini-person doctor I suppose).
And now? Well now she's expanding her services to dentist on the moon.
I think her creativity is out of this world.
Ha ha! Get it? She's obsessed with the moon. Out of this world.
Get it?!
Oh never mind.
Her creative mind and spirit are unmatched. She's got a great imagination that we could all learn from. She keeps us on her toes and if she wants to be a dentist on the moon, then we have no option but to support her.
Although I must admit, schooling for such a career sounds spendalicious. Guess we'd better start saving.
All of this moon talk reminded me that back in September Katie was generous enough to hook us up with free tickets to the Wings and Waves Water Park. And, like I seem to be doing a lot of lately, I completely spaced sharing those pictures. Between now and then we've had a seizure to deal with, a trip to San Fran, ear infections in Natty, croup, bronchitis, Halloween, my birthday and now Thanksgiving so I suppose a little afternoon trip to the water-park was easily forgotten.
Whoops.
Ash and I had such a great time together (Natty Kat wasn't invited as there really isn't much a mini her size can do at the water-park). In true Ashley spirit she was apprehensive at first and not at all willing to immediately jump in. It took a bit of coaxing and promises of splash-wars to finally get her to play with the water guns and such. I never managed to get her down a water-slide, but her time is coming. I did hop on a few while she played close by, and boy oh boy is that place great!
Thanks Katie for the hook-up. It's safe to say you can never leave your job at Evergreen. Ashley just won't have it.

Love the look on Midget's face in this one - the wave pool had just started up and caught her off guard
Her favorite toy in the entire water-park? A rope you pull to active a shower-type head. She spent, no joke, hours right in that exact spot.
She didn't realize the object of this toy is to soak others, not herself
Taking a tour of the 'museum' inside the water-park
Making lasting memories with my Midget
Having a blasty-blast with Aunt Katie - thanks!!

San Fran - I wasn't done!

Turns out I'm all sorts of behind on sharing pictures. I've got photos and stories dating back to September that I've yet to share.
The Blogging Gods are going to strike me down.
Wanna hear some more about our trip to San Francisco back in September? Well you're just in luck!
After our trip to Alcatraz (pictures and stories on that to come, I promise!), it was lunchtime, last minute souvenir purchasing and then time to hit the road for home. Since we would be driving right past the Jelly Belly factory, and because I'm a GINORMOUS Jelly Belly fan, I bugged and pestered everyone until they agreed to stop.
It's a good thing because I can get super pouty when necessary.

Clang! Clang! Clang went the trolley!
Here's a full-body shot of the trolley we rode. Well maybe not THE exact one we rode, but you get the idea. Cool side-note regarding the trolleys in San Fran: the city actually purchases trolleys from all over the U.S. and then runs them in San Fran. I believe the one we rode actually hailed from St Louis. Maybe it was the same one Judy Garland rode on?! Doubt it, but that would make for a great story!
Sluuuuuuuuuuuuuuurp! Lunchtime. Famous San Fran sourdough bread pizza and chowder in a bread bowl. We'd been waiting ALL trip for this!
Why yes, that's me, checking it, at the Jelly Belly factory in my official Jelly Belly cap. Don't worry about hiding your jealousies, I can see it written all over your face.
John Wayne himself immortalized in Jelly Belly's. Maybe one day I'll be famous enough for this high honor?
These pictures could easily land me in jail since photos were strictly prohibited on the tour - my shutter button must have been pressed a few times on accident
Check out that conveyor belt full of Jelly Belly goodness! These little beans were on their way to being tossed and mixed into those scrumptious little bags of mixed belly flavors.
Millions and millions of Jelly Belly's. THIS is what I'm talking about!
Last group pic of the trip
My favorite Jelly Belly. Or wait. That doesn't sound very nice.
Quick explanation on the following 2 pics...Jessica is SERIOUS about her game of Slug-Bug. On the drive down to San Fran I played maybe 10 minutes with her and cracked under the pressure. That girl is GOOD and FAST! Jake, never one to be outdone, stepped up, and the competition was on like Donkey Kong. And still continues today.

So excited to see a Jelly Belly-themed Slug-Bug outside the factory - Jess had to get one good last hit in...
...and let Jake reciprocate. Funny thing is that she's not acting here - she really did think Jake was going to pound the snot straight out of her!

Guuuuuross!

This is pretty sick, but not sick enough to keep to myself.
Remember all those times I've said how nasty Natty's ears get when she has an ear infection (EI) with tubes? Well below is a lovely picture of her ear during one of her EI's. It's proof positive that the tube is doing a darn good job of draining all of that icky infection junk out from behind her ear. Too bad it's so nasty to look at (and smell).
But it sure does make for a lovely conversation starter.
And just for clarification sake, no she doesn't currently have an EI. Thank goodness! This picture is of the one she had during Halloween.
PS The picture is all grainy and poor quality because I had to enlarge it to give you full-EI funk experience

Thankful

Oooh Thanksgiving. How do I love thee. The time of year when American's consume, on average, 4500 calories in one 24-hour period. And can you blame us? Thanksgiving dinner is, by far, my absolute favorite dinner of.all.time.
Well until Christmas that is. Then Christmas dinner becomes my all.time.favorite.
But you get the idea. I love food and I love holidays. I was *made* for this time of year.
Aside from the deliciousness that is Thanksgiving, I've got plenty to be thankful for (about now Sissie and Mom are singing along with Bing Crosby. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, do yourself a favor and watch Holiday Inn and you too can be in on the secret).
Topping my list of what I'm thankful for is my family.
Hands-down.
Bar-none.
Easy-peasy.
Without them I am nothing. With them I am everything.
My heart breaks for anyone who doesn't have this at the top of their list. If there's something you can do to get them to the top, then do it. Bury the hatchet. Make amends. Mend fences. Hug it out. Sing kumbaya. Do whatever it takes because believe me, you're missing out.
But I digress.
God has blessed me in more ways than I will ever realize or know. He's a great guy who hears us, all the time, no matter where we're at. You'd be best to remember that.
And again, I digress.
Where was I?
Oh yeah. Thanksgiving. Giving thanks. What I'm thankful for.
Happy Thanksgiving and remember someone out there is thankful for you. What a great feeling that is, no? Take 2 seconds and pester the person/people you're most thankful for. All it takes is a hug, a kiss and maybe new diamond earrings to prove your gratitude.
Or wait. Scratch that.
Kisses aren't always necessary.
Some way or another you've blessed my life, and I hope I've managed to do the same in return. May God bless you and keep you and your blessings safe and happy this Thanksgiving.
And really, do yourself a favor, give thanks where thanks are due.
Happy Thanksgiving! Now letting the eating commence!

Wordless Wednesday

I am Ironman

Well not really. But how cool would that be?!
Back in October our friends Allen and Kelly asked Jake to attend a 24 race and serve as Pit Crew Man. Since Jake and I come as a pair, I got to tag along too. To be perfectly honest I had no idea what to expect. I'm not exactly mechanically inclined.
People, I've got Jake for that.
I do know my way around a tool box and am comfortable serving as 'Step and Fetch It', so I figured at worst I'd just run tools. And if that wasn't needed, then I'd do my darnedest to stay out the way.
One thing I did know was that I was taking my camera, my big-mama lens and a lot of warm clothes as it was bound to be chilly where we were headed.
And chilly it was. I'm not usually one for camo, but being as my hunting gear is the warmest clothing I own, I rocked it, head to toe, for a few hours. I tried to spruce it up a bit with leopard print, but even then I was a long ways from fashionable.
But I was warm. So take that.
For those that don't already know, and I bet it's most of ya'll, 24 Hours at Starvation Ridge is an extreme and intense motorcycle race which takes place in Washington. The sane people ride on teams, taking a lap ever few hours, for 24 straight hours. The over achievers, and those with something to prove, ride it solo. A man and his motorcycle for 24 straight hours. The mentally un-sound, if you will.
The crazies also know as Ironmen.
And it just so happens Allen was attempting his first Ironman, ever. Along with 35 other Ironman contestants, they would ride from 10 am Saturday morning until 10 am Sunday morning stopping only when absolutely necessary. For Allen that was a change of gear, a few trips to the restroom, and once when he plowed into a rock the size of his bike. Other than that, it was ride.
Can you even imagine?
The entire event was so wonderful and exciting (and cold!). For the most part the comradery between the racers was unlike anything I've seen in a long time. Even though it was a competition, it seemed everyone wanted the other to succeed, regardless of placement and trophies. Allen did absolutely incredible, and I have to wonder if part of his success had to do with his impeccable crew? He finished the very first lap in 14th place and slowly made the climb until he was seated comfortably in 2nd. SECOND! His very first Ironman ever and he comes in second?!
I hate to break it to you, buddy, but you've set the bar pretty high for any future Ironman races.
Jake and I had such a great weekend with Allen and Kelly, albeit a tiring (and chilly!) one. Although I doubt we could match Allen's exhaustion. And to be perfectly honest it's not like I can even complain as I took at nap from 3:30 am until just after 6. Hey, someone needed to be with it enough to drive home the next day!
Thank you for the invitation, Allen and Kelly! I'm not sure yet if Allen is planning on competing next year, but I do know the motorcycle flame has been rekindled in Jake, and what that means you can just never tell.
And me? Well I had fun handing off tools, pretending like I knew what I was doing, and taking an entire SD card worth of pictures. The weekend taught me a lot of things, one of which was a new appreciation and love for my big-mama camera lens. Love. Laugh. Photograph.
Oh and the bigger your propane heater, the more people want to be your friend. 175,000 BTU worth of friends.

The night before the race - notice how we're all clean and fresh. Trust me, that changes.
Where the magic happened
Little town of RVs and toy haulers out in the middle of absolute nowhere, with beautiful Mt Rainier in the background
Fresh, clean and ready to ride!
The race started with a footrace - riders on one side of the field, bikes on the other. Here's a shot of just a few of the bikes. And no, I have no idea where Allen's was.
BANG! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand their off!
Returning from his first lap, still spry and full of energy. The strategy was to see how much fuel he used during the first lap and then calculate from there how often he'd need to be refueled (Jake's like Rain Man when it comes to word problems like this!). My job at this point was to count all of the riders with an I on their bikes (stands for Ironman - genius!) and figure out where Allen was in standing and time. I about jumped out of my skin when he came cruising up in 14th place! Of course I did so with camera in hand.
1/2 gallon of fuel later and he's off for lap #2
I had the opportunity to volunteer at check point #3 for 2 hours. I got bumped a few times with handlebars and about 10 yards of dirt kicked at my back, but it was worth it to watch the racers round the corner, slow down just enough to be counted, and then speed back off. I can only imagine my excitement was a drop in the bucket to the excitement my mom used to feel when she watched Dad racing. I got this shot of Allen as he came in, and ever since he pointed out the placement of that little sun spot, it's all I see when I look at this shot. Thanks for ruining it for me, Allen! I can only imagine how ridiculous I looked standing with my orange flag and camera up to my eye as racers whizzed past me. All for the shot, eh?
Probably my favorite action shot of Allen that I took
Self check-in at Pit 25 - it was actually warm enough to shed my camo layer for a few hours. But it was definitely hat-time since I hadn't showered in 24+ hours.
PS Don't you just love Jake's face?
Absolute favorite of Allen, hands-down. Way to capture an amazing shot, Jake!
PS Can you tell why I love my big-mama lens so much? Such fabulous colors!
And now my favorite shot, of all time, without a doubt. Is there any question who that is standing there? Who else stands like that? So glad I made him stand still for this.
Of course I wanted in on the fun!
Just over from us were miles and miles of wind towers used to power homes around Washington and Oregon - made for an awesome sunset picture. Again, a loud shout-out to my big-mama lens.
Iiiiick. Nasty air filter about 12 hours into the ride.
Jake getting to work on that filter

At this point it must have been my nap-time because all of the sudden it's morning and Allen's working on his last laps

Coming into checkpoint #3 on his third and final lap. That's Allen in OSU Beaver Orange behind the 1st place Ironman in green.
Funny story, Allen had it in his head that the ride was over at 9 am, so when Kelly mentioned something about another lap, he was none too please. I believe Kelly's exact words where "He was kinda mean!". Once he realized it didn't end until 10, he sucked it up and cranked out 1 more lap (each lap took him anywhere from 45 to 55 minutes).
Big finisher! I love this picture because you can see how genuinely proud Kelly is of Allen.
"What have I just done?"
Taking a seat, putting his feet up, and drinking some Pedialite. The drink of winners! Word on the street was that Allen couldn't sit square on his tushy for a few days because he was a bit sore. Go figure.
Kelly: smiling because she's so proud of Allen and his second place finish
Allen: too exhausted to even smile or possibly afraid to smile because of the dirt in his teeth
Jake: smiling and happy that it's finally over so I'll quit making him smile for pictures
Riane: smiling and secretly praying the camera doesn't show her funkiness from lack of shower
Award ceremony
In addition to a big 'ol trophy, Allen also won a bike stand, which immediately came in handy as a stool
An Ironman and his proud crew
SUCCESS!

Monday morning prayers

This morning at breakfast Natalie requested that we all pray before we ate. Ashley immediately bowed her head, folded her hands and took it upon herself to lead us in prayer:
"Dear Baby Jesus and His daddy, Lord. I say thank you for Mommy and Daddy and Sister. And Disneyland and Nana and Papa and my birthday when I turn 5. Amen."
And in case you didn't already know, Ashley's 5th birthday present from Nana and Papa is a trip to Disneyland, so you can imagine how eager she is for her 5th birthday to arrive.
Love that Midget!

Annoyance

I love my girls.
My girls love me.
Of this I am certain.
But that's not to say they always like me.
Take, for example, the picture below. I was on the prowl for a new picture for the header of the blog. They usually will cooperate for the first 10 shots, after that it's a crap-shoot.
The picture below is proof positive of this.
Annoyance.
At it's greatest.
But notice the picture at the header of the blog? Pretty great, eh?
Mommy always wins.
You'd be best to remember that, Minis of mine.
Love. Laugh. Photograph.

Midget's clenched jaw smile and Spunky's blank stare is code for "You're on your last pose, Mommy"

Party trippler

Remember a while back when I said I was spoiled. Er. Uh. I meant to say *lucky* enough to have not 1, not 2 but THREE birthday celebrations this year?
What can I say? My awesomeness can't be contained to just one party.
The third party started as just a dinner with Sissie, Ray, Mom and Dad and quickly turned into a wild gathering of family and friends. It was fantastic and the perfect way to wrap up my week-long party.
Already looking forward to turning 32; I expect next year's festivities to be outdone by this year. :)

Hey Jude! Such a cute little dude.
Not sure what this is all about? Spunky being Spunky I suppose.
Natty Kat taking care of her man, Lincoln. She has to be watched like a hawk when that blonde-haired cutie is around!
Elizabeth swinging high with "Little Katie"
Ashley and her buddy Little Katie going doubles down the slide
Lincoln sorta took a face plant, which was followed by a stampede of sorts. Tough guy got dirty, but wasn't permanently damaged.
1 thing we learned from our outing - Natty's ears don't appreciate the colder weather (due to her tubes). So, as best we can, we keep her listeners covered and toasty. Thankfully Little Katie was kind enough to share her cap.
Kelly, always at home with little boys. They don't even have to be hers!
The Merry-Go-Round. Favorites of the young and old.
Kelly and Chase racing to the car - not sure who won, but I'd guess Chase. Man that kiddo is quick!
Ashley and Little Katie's favorite party pastime was putting stickers all over Nathan. Wasn't long before all the kids joined in the fun! Nathan looks stunning in those princess stickers, no?