Life Lately

By chance, have you seen The Jungle Book? 

We give it our hearty approval and highly recommend. 

(I also recommend inviting yourself along if your parents ask to take their grandchildren to see it. Don't be afraid to plead if necessary.) 

Last week we bought a tractor and my position as chief delight of my husband's heart was promptly supplanted by an orange machine. I wished Russell and his new love a happy future together and waved as they rumbled off into the distance. 

Just kidding. I mean I rumbled off into the distance. Turns out, driving a tractor is pretty fun and husband thinks I look pretty cute up there! 

Friday night, my 12-year-old self's dreams came true and I saw Newsies on Portland's Broadway with my girls Jana & Amy. As you can plainly tell, we were NOT AT ALL EXCITED.

Especially sitting 4 rows from the stage. 

I can't tell you how many times I watched Newsies as a young teen. Probably a very awkward amount of times... because I was head over heels in love with Spot Conlon. And I'm not kidding, I watched the movie two weeks ago with Kendall in preparation for the live show and was like, "Christian Bale is in this movie?!" I had no idea who he was when I was an 8th grader. I just knew I wanted to marry Spot. Haha. 

In other (possibly-non-interesting) Halverson family events, we sold our entertainment center to make way for a new-to-us center that could hold a bigger TV. 

Hi Tom! 

We are all in awe of the power and beauty of a 55 inch screen and would like to thank a yard sale and craigslist for our new acquisitions, which the sale of our old entertainment center all but paid for. 

Gotta love a good wheel & deal week!

(Now to paint my burgundy wall a nice neutral...)

Awkward & Awesome

Awkward
- getting a call from your children's school that your son has been suspended for 3 days for getting in a full-on brawl with two other students during recess. No, not the 13-year-old middle schooler... oh no... the SECOND GRADER.

Our house has turned into a house of shame. 

(Okay, more like a house of dire consequences. Those 3 days could not be more un-fun for said 2nd grader.)

{Breaking free from jail yesterday afternoon to grocery shop - we both needed it!}

- when you're hiking a 3 mile loop with a girlfriend and realize two thirds of the way around that your key fob fell out of your hoodie pocket somewhere along the way, and you have to turn around and retrace your steps, almost doubling your miles... and your sweat output.

Awesome
- great workouts with girlfriends! Haha.

- this discovery, if you are a cadbury cream egg lover like myself:

Yes. They are absolutely delicious and amazing. Thank you, Easter aisle at Target.

- A freshly mowed lawn, and trampoline forts to play under.

- A plan-free weekend... starting today! Weeeee!

The Madness of March

Good golly, it's been a busy spring. Particularly, the entire month of March. What with the state finals in Baker, both of my boys' birthdays, our school auction which I was a room coordinator for, prepping for Scrap Around the Clock - the huge 33-hour-long event I am in charge of, and EASTER, let's just say I didn't take much time to think about blogging last month.

Did I mention baseball & T-ball started?

Time management isn't exactly at the top near the top of my personal skill set. If you still make it over here to read my blog now and then... thanks for not giving up entirely!

And now, for a few of the things I missed...

Coop the birthday boy turns 13. I made him his favorite dinner (chicken broccoli braid) on his actual birthday and we gave him a couple of gifts, and then we had a large (very large) family party over the weekend and he got to go see Batman vs. Superman with friends. You know what's awesome about older kid parties? ZERO THEMED DECORATIONS. Guys, nary a balloon was blown.  

This is what happened when I threw an open invite out on facebook for a girls night to go see My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. How fun is this?!! We packed the theater, ate all the popcorn, laughed and cried, and LOVED IT. I love the age mix here... Grandmas, moms, daughters, sisters, we're all represented!

The four man squad that ran this Spring's Scrap Around the Clock. We were short two of our helpers and still pulled off an amazing event (if I do say so myself.) I just needed a full week to recover afterwards is all, no biggie. 

It was a full house. We filled our 70 spots in the first week registration was open! Already planning and looking forward to our fall event in November. 

A darling moment I stealth-snapped a pic of a couple of weeks ago: daddies, never stop cuddling your daughters. *heart melts*

Toothless! Blake pulled out his own front tooth (again) and made quite an elaborate display on his dresser with rocks, tissues, and mentos, for the tooth fairy to find and be impressed by. And guess what? She remembered on the 2nd night! She's getting goooood ;)