MLK Day Hike

We had a free afternoon on MLK day.....what is that....and listened to "I have a Dream" in route to the Arboretum and then had a long hike with Mac. It was bliss. The girls tried a new hiking technique.....seeing how long they can hike with their heads touching....hilarious.

Papa's Bday Before Bangladesh

We celebrated my dad's bday at a restaurant in Hillsboro we used to go to when he worked at Tuality. The family would meet there for dinner...and he would go back to the hospital. It was close to Frances's indoor soccer practice and it brought back a ton of memories..and then made me miss my brother.

It was also bit emotional as my dad was headed to Bangladesh to lead a month long mission there for Doctors without Borders. It is passion and it is calling....and it scary.

The gift of it for our family...we treasure the moments we have with him.

BRING IT.......Cheerleading that Is

Maggie is wonderful and perfectly fitting third child in that she throws us constantly, and her joy and exuberance while doing it makes even more interesting...and frankly fun.

After fun experience with high school cheerleading, she begged to do more......so......we did more.  We found a class and some friends...and I thought we were done. And then...the coach told us about the cheer competition. What ?!?!?!?!!?!? 

Needless to say, it has opened my eyes to the teamwork and athleticism required to do a set of cheer routines....and to the world of cheerleading. Wow. Wow. Wow.

Grammy Kris was in town for the competition and Frances was the diligent and earnest cheer sister on the planet.

Our team, in my opinion, brought the most cheer...meaning they actually were cheerful and having fun.

And then.................

The won.

No. Joke.

So, we have another competition in two weeks...

A whole new world.....

Community Service with LYS

There are MANY reasons why I am so thrilled Henry is with LYS this season, but today was a big one. As a team they volunteered at the Food Bank. I love that they are learning that giving back to the community is part of being in a community.

NYE CAKE

As my family and friends know, I am not a baker and not a dessert person. Last year Frances and I made a cake, so we decided to go for it again. While the ugliest cake I have ever seen and a lot of trial and tribulations, our double chocolate cake was FANTASTIC. We had a great time celebrating 2017 and getting super excited about 2018.

New Years Eve on Neahkanie

We did our 2nd annual hike up Neahkanie for New Years. The best. This year was particularly triumphant as Maggie walked the whole thing by herself....and did not complain once....PROGRESS!!!  Henry and I did our annual selfie with Mac...and cracked ourselves up.

I know I say it every time.....but Manzanita is Magical

We then headed to the coast....and wow....it didnt disappoint. We got to hike, run, and enjoy the sunsets. The kids brought their new toys of soccer tennis and spike ball and they were perfect along the Manzanita shore.

TImberline

Frances and Maggie wanted to ski.....Henry....not so much. So, we decided to got to Timberline as we knew Henry could have a wonderful day in the lodge. He had done a report on it for school and was excited to see everything first hand. Although the snow was bare and it was really icy and VERY crowded, it was still wonderful. Mark skied first...and then took off his boots and jackets...and I put them on and went out with Frances. We have promised both girls a couple more Sundays on a non-basketball Saturday or Sunday

. So excited!