Oregon - day ten ...

the day began with all sorts of creativeness ...

coloring pictures!
many a pretty picture adorned Nana's
refrigerator by the time we left!

I had to get a couple shots of Moses, aka "mo-mo" ...
it's super cute the way Liam called him "mo-mo", too, I must mention!
and the way Zoey would try to grab him if he passed by her!

a bit later it was playdough for Liam ...

and the big kids started a sign project with Nana,
which they'll be finishing when my parents visit us later this summer!

see how I "gated" her in - lol ...
I was just sick of chasing after her, she had
a strong interest in the cats food & water!

little cutie pie!

so, around 2:30pm Karli's mom picked up me & my mom and took us to Karli (and her sister's) dance recital dress rehearsal (since I'd be gone by the time the recital was)! I was in dance heaven, we were there until about 10pm and we weren't ready for it to end! it was awesome to get to see Karli and her sister dance - and I was impressed! they're both awesome dancers ... and it's fun to remember Karli at 3 and 4 years old, back when I was her dance teacher (her first) and how she loved being on stage so much that she stayed out there for a solo bow at "my" recital - oh how I love that girl! after that we stopped by their house for some visiting and then Karli's mom brought us back "home"! such a fun evening ... even if watching some of the littlest ones dance to dream make me melt into a puddle of tears ... and even writing it, it does it to me again.

"I had a dream ...
I could fly from the highest swing ...
I had a dream"

this song almost always makes me cry. I always think of my little Zoey ... all the dreams I had ... all the dreams I have. sob. ok - I'm over it now! I do love that song!

Oregon - day nine ...

let's see, this was a tuesday ... oh, yes, Karli came over to "hang"
with us for the day! so, what did we do? headed to the
mall of course! daddy watched the boys and Zoey, so we got
to have a mostly enjoyable shopping trip
(I say mostly because Annicka is really not into shopping ... she's
more into quietly asking repetitively if we're near done or begging
for some silly little item she finds that is way over priced)
just us four girls: mom, me, Karli, Annicka!

on our way out we got starbucks ... I may as well tell you all
that starbucks and the human bean were my besties
while I was in Oregon! mom and I did indulge in much coffee
drinks, mostly bought ... but a few at her house too!

and, perhaps, I should get real honest and mention that
all my most favorite fast food chains were my
besties on our trip? Fultanos - the best pizza in the world, Sonic -
the best vanilla diet coke in the world, Burgerville - the best
fast food burgers in the world - all places that we have
no where near us in California! Not to mention
Chipotle (which is where we had lunch on this day), Applebees,
and the Mexican food places that my dad and hubby enjoyed!
yes, I sure did indulge in eating out ... a lot!

anyway, back to our day, we then headed home and packed up
for Leslie's house - she was serving a delicious mexican
food meal, it's sort of her specialty, and it was amazing ... I only
wish I could have eaten more of it, in fact!

but, we had to head out -again- before we lost daylight ...
as she had agreed that her and her hubby could do
some family photos for us!

I'm not gonna lie:
it went, well, awful!

Liam wasn't in the mood - and neither was daddy,
so the mood was all wrong right off the bat!
I think a couple decent shots were captured of us
with my mom and dad ... but, as for the
family photos I was dreaming of - you know, to hang on
my wall - I don't know that we succeeded in
any! never-the-less - don't be surprised if you come over
one day and I have a photo of all of us looking
a touch stressed out ... after all, like I tell my kids:

"ya get what ya get and you don't throw a fit"

so, what was captured that day is -as of now- the only
family photos we have with Zoey and if that
means a not-so-picture-perfect photo ends up on
our wall, so be it!!!

moving right along ... it was declared that we were done and
then it was my turn to play photographer for Leslie's
family ... they were very cooperative, well - aside
from her hilarious son continuously making funny faces!
so, hopefully I at least managed to capture some
nice "snapshots" for them!

then it was back to my parents' house where mom and Karli
took a dip in the hot tub with the big kids ... and then,
something they had been waiting for, for a week -
smores! ooey, gooey, yummy smores!

I didn't get too many pics this day, but at least I can still
remember it fairly well! after the bonfire & smores
Leslie picked up me, mom, and Karli - we picked up starbucks
(yes, this was the second time in one day - I told you we were besties)
and took Karli home and had our last chat for this trip!

he was a little afraid he was going to end up in the hot tub - lol!

watching them "tub"

click on this one - Liam's face is hilarious!

being stubborn - little toot - but he looks so cute, doesn't he?

it was the kids last time to see Karli this trip!

Oregon - day eight ...

so, if I love you oodles and oodles and know you love me back just the same ...
it's possible I won't ask your permission before putting your pics
on my blog - lol! I guess it's that I figure you love me enough that if
it's a problem, you'll forgive me quite easily for wanting to share
your beautiousness (I love making up words) with the world!
ok, who am I kidding ... I get like one comment a week - at best - so, I'm
hardly sharing this with "the world"!
but, it is out there for the world - so there ya go!

this is very true for my family - who've I've never asked permission from -
and all my friends I saw on this trip to Oregon, none of whom
have given me permission to be sharing all these pics I've been sharing!
oops!

no worries, though - they love me!
and I don't think they'll mind either!

well, my friend might be a little upset about this one:
but I have to share it! it's just too funny to witness the
happy look of surprise on her face (I can't quite remember what spurred
that expression) and the pitiful look of unhappiness on Zoey's!
it makes me laugh, to be honest!

Leslie is such a good friend.
we've been friends for sixteen years now ...
that's a long time!

we've been through thick and thin and really, I consider
her more of a sister than a friend! why?
because she's always been there for me! always!
usually it's just a listening ear and some Godly wisdom over
a phone conversation, but it means a lot to have a
friend who lives almost 900 miles away
still care about you so much!

all this to say, that I had to have some photos of her with
my precious baby Zoey - whether Zoey was happy
about it or not and whether they turned out "good" or not!

as you can see, these next two are very much better ...
also, as you can see, my friend is not only beautiful on the inside,
but she's also gorgeous on the outside!

there's a smile from Zoey!
(we think she wasn't a fan of the hat - lol ... and also of Leslie
looking directly at her - crack me up)

thank You, Lord - for such a good friend!
I am truly blessed!

oh yah ... and these are the only pics for that day! Leslie came over and we all just hung out and drank coffee and talked and relaxed ... and later that night her, I, and my mom all went to IKEA - oh, how I love IKEA! it was another fabulous day of our trip!

Oregon - day seven ...

Sunday morning we were getting ready for church,
so Zoey had a bath (as did all the kiddos) ...
and she loves baths!!!

it was great to visit CTK - I do miss that sweet
church! also, we had Zoey dedicated!

after a quick lunch (because we were getting ready
for a 2pm bbq) daddy found this:

oh my little Liam how nervous you make me
with your adoration of being completely
covered up to sleep - silly monkey!

for the bbq we had Karli and her mom and sister, as well
as my bestest bestie ever, Leslie, and her hubby and three kiddos!
it was so fun - even though it rained a little and the
"activities" had to be moved indoors!
then later some good friends of my parents showed
up and we got to visit with them for a bit!

Karli's mom gets some Zoey time and Zoey
quite liked it too!

the rock painting has been moved inside!

silly boys!
(Liam slept through it all)

and, me being me, I had to take a pic of the
gorgeous little sandals I purchased (at Target, me
and Target are besties too) for Zoey ...
they went with her dress so perfectly - swoon!

so that was our sunday - nice and relaxing and full
of great fellowship with friends ... though
lacking in photos, oops!

Oregon - day six ...

Saturday morning began with an early dip in the hot tub with Nana and then some craft time - beading!

I can't honestly remember what we did that day???
the guys had run out of paint, shy of getting the back of the
house done ... but at least the front and sides were
"done" (ok, so my dad still has work to do with getting the
trim done and had to put fixtures and such back up).

and that evening we had a very important date, so
I got Zoey all fixed up special ...

she was sound asleep when we arrived ...

so - what was the important date?
well, if you can believe it, the absolutely adorable tiny
little girl on the far right in this photo (of a photo - below)
had graduated high school the night before!

that's right - it was the first graduation ceremony
I had attended in, what?, nine years?
(preschool doesn't count)
it was sort of crazy too! I found myself missing my
youth that night sitting there watching all
those "kids" at the dawn of a new beginning!
it was crazy to know that "my" sweet little Karli
-who I technically first met when she was in utero-
was not only eighteen years old,
but graduating!
insanity.
and ... I felt very old.
never-the-less it was an amazing thing to witness
and I am beyond glad that I scheduled this
trip specifically so I could be there that night!

here she is - all grown up!

but, being there to see her graduate meant we'd be gone by the
time her graduation party occurred - so, they had us over
for a bbq for our own little celebration with their family!
(I have to note how cute it was when Liam was asking where "my
girl with the flower" was - he really loved Karli)

the kids really like Pookie!

and they had a ball playing outside with Karli's sister
(I'm not using names - but, yes, of course I know them)

and I sure did have to laugh at myself when I went to call my own
son, Jericho, out the back door - and somehow managed to call
Karli's brother's name instead ... WOW! I must have
been having babysitting flashbacks or something - I couldn't
believe it, but as soon as I said I started laughing!

where did you fall?

the graduating girl with my dad

and with my mom, who cared for her for something
like 12 years in her home daycare!

Zoey got the seat of honor!
I always loved this highchair back when Karli's sister
was using it, it was originally Karli's moms!

there's Karli's mom - enjoying Zoey's silliness!

after dinner view from the window ...
dinner -by the way- was absolutely delicious!

and finally Karli with Zoey!

crazy to think I used to tote Karli around - and now
she can do the same with my kids!