Tis the Season...

Portland Getaway

A few weeks ago we snuck down to Portland for a surprise birthday weekend for the 40th birthday of our friend Greg (aka Nellie). Nellie is like me--a big surprise party would be his worst nightmare. But Kristin wanted to do something fun for him, so she arranged for just a few of us to stay at a hotel in downtown Portland with plans to surprise him when they arrived at the restaurant in the hotel for dinner. It was kind of a gift for all of us though--so much fun to stay downtown, hang out with friends, and eat lots of yummy food. (Our girls were staying at the Nelsons with Kristin's kids and her parents so they didn't miss us at all.)

For me, this weekend was very much a payoff for "all my hard work." (Feel free to eyeroll. I'm rolling my own eyes at myself.) Working 40 hours a week is kicking my butt. Just a big adjustment for me. I don't mind waking up at 4:45am, but I'm not staying awake much past 9pm, and the second I sit down I fall asleep. I know I'll adjust eventually, but right now "work tired" is the name of the game. (I do LOVE my job though). So it was nice to use my paycheck to pay for this weekend, it's nice to understand what all the hype is about weekends finally, and it was lovely to truly enjoy the weekend with Kolby and friends.

The Civil Wars

Last night Kolby and I went to see one of our newest favorites in concert. Kolby heard them on Prairie Home Companion a few months ago and downloaded their album when he got home, and we have listened to it over and over and over again since then. I cannot get over the beauty of their voices weaving in and out of each other's like musical instruments. Absolutely one of the most beautiful "duos" I've heard.

Last weekend when we were in Portland (post to follow), Kolby and I were talking about how some of our favorite concerts ever were at the Aladdin Theater, an old movie theater in SE Portland. We saw Steve Earle and Josh Ritter there years ago, and it was the perfect venue for both of them. When we walked into the Neptune Theater last night, we were so pleased to see it looked almost identical to the Aladdin.

On stage, it was just Joy and John Paul with his guitars. Their sound was so pure and they looked like they were having the time of their lives. This concert definitely ranks in my top 5 ever, and if you haven't heard them (and like Americana music) you should definitely give them a listen.

Give me candy.

We all survived our first Halloween with me working. This was probably the hardest day for me so far because I've always gone to the girls' Halloween parties. But we are all alive. Nobody seems to scarred by my not being there. Amelia put on her costume by herself at school. Maddie had the neighbor do her eyeliner for her. Kolby picked them up and took them to Microsoft to trick or treat, and I beat them home with just enough time to heat up some beef stew to warm them up before they went out and demanded candy from strangers.

Halloween stuff...

Kolby and I always think we deserve Parent of the Year awards for actually getting around to carving pumpkins. Digging elbow deep in orange slime is not high on either of our lists of Favorite Ways to Have Fun, but the kids absolutely love it, and it's always fun to see what they envision come to life.

My family wanted to decorate for Halloween. I had to practice defensive decorating, as there was no place in my life for the skinned torso and bloody decapitated head they had in mind.

But I'm cheap. And I have a sister who likes brainstorming with me. And we have Pinterest in our lives now. So with a few cans of spray paint, a lot of old Christmas decorations, and several telephone and texting consultations, all is well.

Portland Getaway

My mom was in Portland a few weeks ago for a quilt convention, so the girls and I headed down to spend the weekend with her. We got a room in the hotel where she was staying so we could be close since we weren't sure how much time she'd be working and how much she'd be able to play.

It was such a fantastic weekend. It was gorgeous fall weather and we had a great time walking around downtown, taking the train around, swimming in the pool, and eating at our favorite restaurants. For some reason it felt like we were living there hanging out at our favorite places with my mom. We drove around our old neighbhorhood in North Portland. I have so many great memories of running those leaf covered streets in the fall, and walking them pushing the girls in the stroller with my mom when she would come to visit. I think we were all feeling very nostalgic, so we decided to head out to the pumpkin patch we visited when the kids were in preschool. Mom always came to visit in the fall, so she'd been out to Sauvie's Island with us.

One of my favorite photos of Amelia as a baby was taken at the pumpkin patch. I made Amelia pose in the pumpkins so I could get a comparison photo this time.

It does not seem that long ago that my kids were this size!

Spooky Sunday Morning

Our morning.