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 ;)

Easter Scenes {2016}

The Halversons all cleaned up. I love how kendall is in flats and standing with a bent knee while i'm in my highest wedges so we can all pretend she's not actually way taller than me ;)

Summer, we need some of your sunshine on our white legs!

Beautiful Kenna, my brother and his fiance's italian mastiff. 

The Wilson side cousins - minus a napping Lincoln.

Favorite pic of the day! Nanna & Papa Duke (who are just the cutest)... and the neighbor's dog!

Halverson side cousins (and friend)

Cooper received a late birthday gift from his cousin Nick who is an amazing gift giver.

holy comic nerd heaven! 

We had such a lovely Easter celebrating with both Russ's family and mine. Our Easter church service was amazing and moving and I cried a little. Then Russ cried a little when his March Madness bracket went down in flames ;) Then the kids cried a little when it was raining too hard to do an Easter hunt outside but we made do indoors, and I didn't have to tromp around in wet grass hiding eggs, so really it all worked out! hehe. 

InstaMonday {Life Lately}

It's Spriiiiiing Breeeaaak!

(I don't know why I get so excited about my kids being out of school for a week. I still have to go to my part time job, and Russ still works, so we're not on vacation or anything. I think it's just the break from making sure everyone's homework is done/is in bed on time/to school on time/picked up from school/etc.etc. And everyone can sleep in!

So I guess I do know why I get excited :)

And here's what we've been up to lately, according to the cell phone...

I tried this delectable selection of mini cupcakes from Fat Cupcake in Oregon City, did not share them with anyone, and decided, yes... they are the best cupcakes I've ever had. 

WILL RETURN SOON. 

Blake turned eight...

and requested a mini-trampoline for his gift. You know, so he can do dunks on the hoop outside.

We laugh in the face of imminent childhood injury. 

My husband's cute grandpa also had a birthday... his 90th! We loved celebrating with him last weekend, and look! Santa's photobombing! hahaha. 

My parents returned from New Zealand with gifts that only someone from New Zealand would understand. Like the Raro drink mixes we grew up with, tomato chutney that is waaaay better than ketchup, and salad tongs with the all important sliding closure thingy. Yes, we are weird about our salad tong preference. 

Birthday celebrations continued Saturday night with a double date with my sister and her husband for their birthdays... and we still have one more to go with Cooper's 13th this week!

After dinner we saw Allegiant and I found out the final book is being split into two movies, so really this was only part 1, and I felt TRICKED AND BETRAYED. On the other hand though, at least I didn't have to watch the horrible book ending yet and now I can still cling to my secret hope that they will totally rewrite it. 

A girl can dream, right?