Monday Confessional - More Small Confessions

- School starts tomorrow and tonight I let Kendall stay up until almost 10:30pm watching Pride & Prejudice with me while I painted her nails because we've been listening to the audiobook together when driving around running errands and she actually likes it! And wanted to watch the movie! So I was all... watch it again for the 37th time? On the first night of the new school year? HECK YESSSS.

- Speaking of school starting tomorrow... we just finished school clothes shopping TODAY. Always on top of things, this mama.

- My boys drove me crazy today. So crazy, in fact, that I teared up with frustration while driving them home after new school haircuts (something very out of the norm for me), and had to clench my teeth to force myself not to say mean things that I would regret. Instead I made our busy day take a break, took Blake and myself to bed for a nap, and Cooper got to read on his bed (and not move or make any noises). Life was better after that. They were still obnoxious, but I didn't feel like driving myself off a cliff anymore.

- I turned 36 yesterday. 36 is no longer close to thirty. I'm on the shady side now... possibly in my "late thirties". I don't like that, to be honest. But I liked my birthday! Russ is away on a hunting trip so my parents took me out to lunch, and my girlfriends took me out to dinner and I was completely spoiled rotten by friends and family alike.

{Jana, Kelly, Valerie, myself, Kristie, & Christine}

And when Russ gets home (tomorrow!!!) he's taking me out on a birthday shopping date, so the fun continues, which I'm soooooo cool with ;)

- Possibly not so cool though: after telling my girlfriends about a fun trivia game we played in Sunriver, they stopped to buy it for me on our way home. And we may or may not have then opened it in the car and played it while driving. A trivia game. ON GIRLS NIGHT OUT. This is 36, folks. 

 

Sunriver 2015

Sunriver is a holy, serious place.

Just kidding. Sunriver is awwwwwsome! We came back earlier this week from 5 lovely days in the resort town in Central Oregon with our friends, the Haddens, and I'm just now getting round to blogging about it (and not pouting that I'm no longer there ;)

Over the past 5 years we've stayed in 5 different vacation homes and this year's house was our favorite yet. I think we've finally found the winner! 

{kids get the hot tub during the day, parents get it at night!} 

{fun ski lift swing on the back porch. Cooper, Dylan, Blake, Emily, and Kendall}

Favorite Sunriver activities: 

bike rides

trips to Goodies ice cream parlor

swimming at SHARC

visiting the Village

movies, games, & puzzles

late night talks

hot tubbing

relaaaaaxing.

It's safe to say we checked off every item multiple times.  

{Bahaha... creeper alert!} 

{The Hadden Family & the neon squad!}

{Blake's face!!!} 

{Russell's graceful waterslide exit} 

{Blake laughing at Daddy's landing}

{Jana and I rejoicing in our new status of "moms of safe swimmers".... ahhh the freedom!}

So. Another year in the bag. Time away with good friends is just the best and I'm so thankful we're able to go every summer. (I'm also thankful for pot roast sliders from The Village Bar & Grill because I go back for them every year. Mmmm.)

Friday Photo Dump

Haven't done one of these in a while! Scenes from the cell phone, coming right up...

Found in the fridge - because I have boys. Honestly, that's my only explanation. 

Found in the paper - awesome article on Mum's ride and Kendall and I even got a mention! 

Found in the driveway - doing a little grading but mostly having fun playing on a tractor.

Found on Portland Broadway! GIRL'S NIGHT!

Excellent show - made my top 5 list!

Found in the backyard - one proud kid who just pulled out his second tooth.

Found on our doorstep - neighbors with all the fixins' for an icecream party! Just because! (Because they're awesome.) 

Found after church - someone looking a little too old and cute for this mama's comfort ;)

Scenes from the Beach

We just arrived back yesterday from a 4-night stay at the coast with Russell's whole family. This is an annual trip and for the last several years we've stayed at the same house (The Lakehouse) in Pacific City, but this year we ventured down to Waldport to try out a new place.

The verdict?

LOOOOVE.

{Situated at the tip of a peninsula - we walked out of the house right onto the beach with the ocean on one side and the Alsea river on the other. AWESOME. The house had a fully finished basement and attached apartment out the front with 5 bedrooms total plus a secret sleeping room behind closet doors aaaaand 4 1/2 bathrooms altogether - we were in vacation house heaven!} 

{clamming time} 

{little shrimp!} 

{Ultimate frisbee} 

{Cara & Gary} 

{Movies on the big screen down in the full-size basement}

{one of the THREE 1000 piece puzzles we did} 

{Settlers of Catan NEVER gets old} 

{My amazing in-laws. Teri is wearing a life jacket to go kayaking... just thought I should clarify!} 

{All the cousins - ranging from 18 - 7 years} 

{Walking the Alsea Bay Bridge} 

{low tide... you can see our house way in the background and the bridge behind it 

{dinner outing to Grand Central Pizza}

{and how we ate the rest of the time... basically, make as much as you can and hope for the best! haha} 

Too many pictures? I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. And yes, I am in mourning that we had to leave and didn't do a "What I Wore" post today because of my sadness. 

Okay fine, I didn't do one because I wore sweats or running shorts the whole time I was away. But I'm still sad! And excited already for next year :)