Winter Fun

We've had a fun filled December this far!
Kaden was awarded for math at his flag salute earlier this month. He was SO excited to earn his eagle charm.

Kohl's Kindergarten class put on a great performance full of fun Christmas songs. Kohl practiced all week, singing everywhere! His favorite is Jingle Bell Rock and Feliz Navidad.

Right after Kohl's show, I headed off to Kaden class party. There were fun crafts, snacks and a book exchange.

Can I Get Your Opinion...Again Please

So last year, I loved getting everyone's feedback on which picture to pick. It is always easy to narrow it down, but choosing just one is SO hard! The poll is on the right, let me know which one you think is best. Thanks!


(you can click on a pic to make it bigger)
Picture 1:



Picture 2:

Fall is Here

I love this time of year, but in all honesty, I think I just like it when the seasons first change over, something refreshing about any new season and what it brings. But Fall is amazing. I love the feel in the air and the hint that the holidays are coming. Starting to want to curl up on the couch with a blanket and drink hot chocolate or tea, and yes, crazy me, I even love the Santa Annas...dunno why, but I think they're pretty cool.
Brady really got into Halloween this year, excited to dress up, but not exactly sure about what "Trick or Treating" was...until that night. Once this kid realized when you knock on someones door and say those words, you get CANDY...he was on a mission. He went from not really wanting to walk, to running in between houses. I love it, love watching the boys make these memories of all the fun times during the holidays!

Our trip to the Pumpkin Patch
Although it took about 1 1/2 hours just to get to Bates because of the horrible traffic, the kids had fun once we finally got there.

Notice my children not cooperating, not smiling or I guess looking "dorky" lol....you'll see this pattern, yet it is never the same child. Getting 3 kids, boys especially, to all smile is HARD work!

Teagen

Maya

Come ON Dad...are you outta shape????

Uncle Chad, off-roading on the pumpkins

Typical brothers, always racing!

Just smile Kohl, come on...last picture, I promise! ;)


...................Carving Time...............
The kids always love this part. Digging out gooey stuff, cutting up things, they love it! Kaden and Kohl each did their own this year, Brady thought he was helping by stabbing holes all over them.



WARNING!!! what you're about to see is 100% against everything Smokey the Bear ever taught us. We are completely breaking the cardinal rule of, "Kids don't ever play with matches!"
....So Kaden was dying to light the pumpkins, and he has inherited my hint of pyroness, the kid loves fire/flames. So we figured let him go ahead and try. First attempt at striking a match, chaos and hilarity! Poor Kaden, he lit it, which one, suprised him! and then he pointed the match downward, making the flame go back up....towards his finger. Panic, and he threw the LIT match down, luckily Jason was next to him to put it out :)
Well he finally got another match going and lit all the pumpkins for us, with out burning down the kitchen :) yay!





Getting ready to go to our neighbor's costume/candy eating party

Kaden (Darth Vador), Kohl ( G.I.Joe), Brady (Thomas)

Once we got there, Brady changed his mind and wanted to be a crazy cowboy instead

Yee-haw

This is the first time Jason and I have dressed up in YEARS!!! We decided to go with the flow and embrace his missing teeth. Might as well take advantage before they get fixed.
I was a referee and Jay was a beat up Rugby player

All the kids trick or treating


Oh yeah....keeping the neighborhood classy!
Jay and Aaron (the mullet-rocking-redneck) Such a great costume!

Catching up

We had a great summer, full of lots of beach trips, fun family vacations and hanging out with friends! Fall started off with Kaden and Kohl starting school together. Kaden is now a first grader and Kohl is a kindergartner. Both boys are also playing soccer and having a blast with it! Halloween is right around the corner and the boys are sooo excited for pumpkin carving and trick-or-treating. Kaden turned SEVEN, I can't believe how grown up he is getting! And Kohl has begun his count down for the big SIX in December. Here are some new pics of the kiddos.

Our Oregon Adventure!

Riding Dirty!
We loved to ride

Kohl and the Family Ridin'

Jay "un-stucking" Kaden....again

Thanks, Kaden. Dad loved his sand shower

Kaden, the riding machine!

Clint's signature move............ me and my baby...................... Kohlie's charging

Brady's first buggy ride

Kohl is ready to go FAST

Jason's first driving lesson

Grandpa and Uncle Brian

They broke the back axle, good thing we have some handy men around!

These two are Trouble!!!

Brady loved wearing the goggles

The views are AMAZING!
From the tops of the dunes

The Northbend Bridge

Jess and me




The Beaches

Hanging out with the fam at grandpa's place :)
Nothing better than having a great time with loved ones!

Uncle Brian, Grandpa, Mom

Grandpa and Darlene


One tequilla, two tequilla.....


Drink up!!!

The crazy cousins having some fun!!!

Our bar ;)

Oysters on the BBQ, my first time trying them...not bad.



Kohl towing his brothers


Brady driving a quad....scary! But he did really good!


His new love, he drives this like a champ...you'd never know he is only 2!

Jay loves Clint's truck!!! Making S'mores Grandpa's house

looking down his 1/4 driveway nothing but trees and green

Dodge Ball
We had an intense game of dodge ball one night. We also played Boche Ball, which I didn't get any pics of, but we setting up a tournament for next year...can you tell we're a little competitive!

The Fiber-Glass Buggy
This was made by my Great-Grandpa (my mom's grandpa). It was so awesome to have it out riding with the 2nd, 3rd and 4th generations!

Cousins
(Brady, Me, Austin, Kaden, Amanda, Kohl, Erica, Jessica, Zach)

Erica took it for a test drive

Going on a cruise to the beach!

Kohl is ready to GO!

Marilyn and my mom...she tore it up! My mom drove it out into the dunes, took it down a VERY steep hill and got 'er stuck! She was chargin'!

Our night rides

My grandpa's home is on a mountain with tons of trails to ride on. I think it's fairly equal fun compared to the dunes. Some of the trails are well worn and easy to follow, others, you feel like you're getting led down a secret pathway to nowhere...such an adventure! Just watch out for unsuspecting tree branches, Jason! (Story to follow below)

Jason

Uncle Brian

my bike

A little dirty! And I forgot to change my shoes and rode through a mud puddle in my uggs.

Shooting the Big Guns
So I shot my first gun and man did I shoot a good one. I shot a 30 oot 6 and a 38 and a 9mm. The shotgun kinda knocked me off my feet...power baby!
The kids shot a 22, loved it of course.

So here is the story
It wouldn't be an Oregon trip with out someone getting hurt, and it wouldn't be a Jason adventure with out something crazy happening! He was riding up the hill, like he had done so many times before, but this time a bulldozer had gone up in the morning to clear out for the loggers. Well it knocked a branch out just enough on the trail and when Jay came around the corner, it stuck him in the arm and ranked him off the quad. His face and arm took the brunt of the fall, and somehow through the helmet, 2 of his porcelain veneers shattered.
He is still very sore, we're hoping to get him some new teeth by next week.

THANK-YOU SOOOO MUCH GRANDPA!!!!!!!!

Here are some videos of the boys having fun.