Christmas 2008!

Travis and I had a great holiday! It went by so fast, and I am very sad that it's over already. First of all I have to say that I am so grateful and feel very blessed to be able to spend the holidays with family! Both Trav and I's families are very close AND both of our jobs are very flexible and allow us to take lots of time off to spend the holiday's at home. I'm afraid sometimes that I take that for granted but I look forward to it so much every year! It's what makes the holiday's truly special!

The festivities started early Christmas Eve! We headed to my parents for a big Christmas Eve lunch with ham, mashed potatoes, rolls, cran sauce....all the fixins. As usual, it was delicious! There was plenty of wine to drink as well. We finished with homemade cherry cheesecake, made by Trav's mom, for dessert. We relaxed after lunch and exchanged gifts with my Uncle Bob. He got us a gift card to Starbucks. Trav and I are looking forward to using that!

When it got dark dad took us for a drive to look at the Christmas lights. We didn't head toward Salem this year because of the bad weather so there wasn't as much to see, but we still got a pretty good show. In the evening we opened our Christmas Eve gift which is always jammies related. Trav and I both got really soft Wii jammie pants. They are awesome!

Mom and I watched a holiday movie while Trav and my dad talked, and my brother played some games on his computer. After the movie I joined Trav and my dad for a card game of Hearts. My dad and I used to play when I was younger. We had a great time.

Christmas morning came early! Dad read us the Christmas story and we had coffee, tea, cocoa, cider, and fresh baked scones while we listened. The Christmas story amazes me every year.
We took turns opening our gifts! We were all spoiled to the max this year! My mom had an envelope on the tree for Trav and I that we opened first. It said that they weren't able to get our game (Rock Band 2 bundle) that we wanted YET, but that they still would. It just came out on the 18th and was nearly impossible to get! We were a little bummed because we'd been looking forward to "rocking out" over the long weekend, but we understood. So we opened all our other gifts! Trav got lots of great new clothes, and he got some nice new head phones from my brother. I got him a new wedding band and he had no idea I'd gotten it so it was really fun to watch him open it! I also gave him $150 for a shopping spree! I got a cool scrapbooking kit from my mom, and some new clothes, and my brother got me an awesome spice rack AND some bacon salt! Trav got me some great new running shoes, and a $150 for a shopping spree!

It was a great Christmas! We all chipped in to get dad a nice new Nikon camera. He loved it! Trav and I got him a couple shirts to! He liked one of them, but the other one was pretty much a joke anyway, since he always gets us random clothes that we usually aren't huge fans of! My mom loved her digital camera that we got her, and her new Christmas travel mug! And Joel loved his bluetooth headset!

When we were all done opening gifts my mom left for a minute and when she came back she had a huge box in her arms.....yep, it was the Rock Band 2 bundle! They did get it! Trav and I were SO excited!

After presents we had ham and eggs for breakfast, and then got ready and headed to Trav's parents for a big Christmas lunch at 1. We made it right on time! We had turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans with bacon and mushrooms, salad, and rolls! It was delicious! After dinner we opened gifts. It was fun watching Coraline play with her gifts and try to figure out how to unwrap them! Trav got some nice knit slippers from Amber and Jason and some a gift card for a haircut, and nice shampoo and conditioner from his parents. I got a nice shirt from Amber and Jason and some gift cards from Robert and Kathy for a haircut and pedicure! Cora was spoiled with lots of goodies!

We got home a little after 5 and set up Rock Band. My brother came over to play and we rocked until 11 or 12! It was really fun! I love singing and playing bass! The drums are pretty hard, but I think if I try it a few more times I'll get it down!

Friday we got to sleep in! It was great! When we got up we bummed around the house for a while and then met Air in Corvallis to get the shopping for our Christmas Dinner done! We got everything in good time AND we got it for a great deal!

Trav and I met Rash and D for dinner at Cascade Grill a little after 6. I tried the rainbow trout and it was delicious! We had fun talking with R and D! After dinner we went back to the house and played Rock Band until late!

Saturday Trav and I went on our shopping spree! We just went to the little Heritage Mall, but Trav found tons of good deals! He got everything he wanted and got good prices on everything! I have fun just watching Trav go shopping. He LOVES buying clothes so it's fun for me to just watch his face lite up. I didn't have as much luck shopping, but I did get 2 really cute sweaters, and a little tank top and loungin shirt. Plus I still have a lot of my money left to use when I do find the perfect clothes!!

At 4 we went to Trav's co-workers house to have wine and meet some more of his family. We had a great time with them! We had red beans with sausage and rice for dinner, which we'd never had, and it was SO good! It was a great night socializing and very relaxing!

Sunday we cleaned the house up in the morning and Air and K came over at 1 to help with getting dinner ready! Air and I got the turkey in the oven at 2, and then prepared the green bean casserole, cool whip salad, green salad, appetizer platter, rolls, and cranberry sauce. Rachelle offered to bring mashed potatoes and I took her up on it! We were able to relax for a while and play Rock Band with the boys before anyone showed up. My brother and his girlfriend got there a little after 4. Sara brought me some delicious sparkling wine which was very sweet of her! Josh showed up shortly after they did, and Rachelle, Derrick, and Robin got there right on time at 5! Dinner was a little behind schedule but everything was ready and on the table around 5:30!

Dinner was delicious! We had a great time chatting and eating and drinking! Air and K and Joel and Sara ended up staying until 1! We played more Rock Band, and Wii bowling and Wii golf, and even played some apples to apples! We had a really fun time!
Today we are pretty tired, since we only got about 5 hours of sleep! But it's only a 3 day workweek, so we will survive!!

My cousin Lacee is getting married to Hunter this Wednesday the 31st! Unfortunately Trav and I won't be able to attend, but CONGRATULATIONS Lace and Hunter!! I wish you all the best and we love you guys so much!

It's almost Christmas!

It snowed again on Thursday night, so Friday I stayed home. Work was closed because of the weather. I slept in, took a bath, and made Trav lunch. While he was home for lunch we made a snowman. He was awesome. He stayed up all weekend!








Trav and our snowman

Then Air picked me up and we went shopping. I needed to finish my Christmas shopping, and we also went to Old Navy. They were having TONS of good deals and I bought myself lots of stuff! I got my Christmas shopping done and that night wrapped all the gifts!
That evening Trav and I went with my parents to dinner at the new Steakhouse in Albany, Cascade Grill. It was good! Then we got a bottle of wine to share while watching movies. It was a fun night.
Saturday we slept in again, and my parents came over at noon to bring some goodies they had for us. My mom had seen a good deal on a big crock pot and I asked her to pick one up for Air (for Christmas...Air has been wanting one for years and she asked for kitchen items for Christmas this year...). I LOVED it and it was a great deal so I asked them to go get me one! (I don't have a Bi-mart card) Trav still needed to get my gift, so he and my dad went shopping!
Mom and I just relaxed, drank hot cocoa, and listened to Christmas music while looking at the tree all lit up and stacked with gifts underneath!! It was very relaxing.
My parents left and invited us up for dinner and to make my mom's chocolate covered mints and cherries. We went of course! And I sampled a LOT of the chocolates. :)
Sunday we cleaned and all our normal stuff.
This is only a 2 day workweek! I'm off Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after...and then it's the weekend! I'm looking forward to the holiday's spent with family, AND the week off work!
Happy Holiday's! Have a very Merry Christmas!

SNOW DAY!!!

The Valley got our first snow of the season! Sunday evening it started! It snowed about 2 inches, and by the next morning it had frozen onto the roads-----so I got a snow day! My work closed because of the bad weather. So, Trav took me to mom's so I could help her with baskets. It was fun!
Our weekend was good to! Friday we went to dinner at Applebee's. They have the 2 for 20 deal going , 2 entrees and an appetizer to split for $20!! It was very good and a great deal. After dinner we went to the IMAX to see The Day the Earth Stood Still with my brother and his girlfriend Sara. Sara got held up on I-5 coming from Portland and she didn't get there until the movie was starting so we didn't get to talk before the movie. But after the movie we talked for a while. She is very nice. She laughed along with us (at us?) and had a good time! Hopefully she'll be coming to more family events now! We drove home through the snow! It was lightly snowing all the way from Tigard to Albany!
Saturday we slept in and then went Christmas shopping in Salem with my parents and brother. We got a lot of our Christmas shopping done, which was fun AND a relief!! After shopping we went to watch the Christmas Lights Parade. We usually watch it from the walkway between JC Penny and the mall, but we decided to watch it from the street this time. It was SO cold out! But it was fun. After the parade we went to dinner at Bentley's. My parents LOVE Bentley's and go there every chance they get. It was delicious dinner! I had Seafood Chowder with bread, and a house salad. And I ate a piece of my brothers pizza and had a few of Trav's calamari!
Sunday we did our chores and errands, and then went to the Christmas program at the Assembly. It's always so good! Afterwards we went home to finish cleaning. After cleaning we saw that it was snowing, and had been for a while so we got dressed in our warm clothes and went to romp around in the snow for a while! We walked around the neighborhood and through the park. It was so much fun!! We tried to make a snowman, but the snow wouldn't stick together!
They are calling for more snow tomorrow, so we'll see if I make it in to work or not! I'm dreaming of a White Christmas!!

Holiday Season/St. Nick's Night

What a fun weekend! I can defiantly tell it's the Holiday Season!
Friday evening after work Trav and I went to his co-workers house for dinner. On the menu was Sushi, Sake, wine, and ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream! We had so much fun! After dinner we sat in front of the fire and chatted until late. Then we played some Rock Band....I tried the drums but was to embarrassed to try singing. I did just meet these people!! :)
Saturday morning I tried to get up early to go jogging. But we didn't get to bed until 2, so I ended up hitting snooze until almost 11! I'm glad I got to sleep in.
Lindsey's baby shower was at 12:30, so I got ready and headed over. We played some fun games, ate some delicious food, and watched her open lots of wonderful gifts! We also got a tour of the nursery which is VERY cute! Pink and Brown....adorable.
I picked up my mom at 3:30 and we got to the Christmas in the Park show right on time. It was a lot of fun! They had children doing dances to different Christmas songs, and free horse and carriage rides. That was my favorite part! I love horse and carriage rides. And we were there when they lit up the big tree and the whole park with Christmas lights. It was beautiful.
Then we rushed back to my house for St. Nick's night, which is always a blast! We had pizza, enjoyed the fire and the tree, opened our stockings, listened to Christmas music, and had LOTS of treats! We made brownies, gingerbread, cocoa, cider....we had chocolates and candy canes....you name it! My mom got Trav and I smelly pine cones that you throw into the fire and they make the house smell good as they burn. They are really cool!
She also got Trav and I Beavers Christmas stockings!!! My brother got us a wii remote charging stand. I thought that was very thoughtful of him! We got tons of good stuff and had a great night with the family!
Trav even put the lights on the outside of the house while I was gone on Saturday!
Sunday we had Kathy's Christmas play, so we got up at 8 to squeeze a jog in before we got ready for church. They play was great. Kathy's part was really funny! Afterward everyone got together for lunch at the Clarks. Trav and I played with Coraline for a while. Poor Trav.....everytime he holds her she starts crying. ;) I told him it happens to all of us! We had fun playing with some toys together.
The rest of Sunday was spent doing our chores and errands, and watching tv!
Now on to another week! Only 2 weeks until another very short week, and then another short one!
It might snow in the valley this weekend! Wouldn't that be fun!

Thanksgiving Weekend

The long weekend went by SO quickly! I can't believe it's over. Wednesday after work Trav and I went over to help my mom clean the house for Thanksgiving. When we go there, she had it done. So, we got to relax with my parents and enjoy a wonderful Salmon dinner instead. Of course we enjoyed some wine while we were there, and after dinner we watched Fred Claus.

Thanksgiving Day we slept in! Yay, I love sleeping in! We got to my parents a little after noon. I helped mom in the kitchen with preparing all the delicious food, and opened up a bottle of white wine. My mom, grandma, and I cooked, drank, and talked in the kitchen preparing the turkey, yams, mashed potatoes, asparagus, peas, cranberry sauce, rolls, green bean casserole, gravy, stuffing, and cool whip salad! Dinner was ready a little after one and we all sat down to the feast! My Uncle Bob came as well. It was a wonderful meal with ALL my favorites. After dinner mom and I cleaned up, had a little more wine ;), and at 3:30 Trav and I headed off to his parents.

We visited with the Clark's Sr for a few hours before heading back to my folks for dessert and to meet with Lace and Hunter. We got back at 7, had dessert and more wine, and played Apple's to Apple's! Kevin and Tina came over too, and brought their 3 daughters. We had a great time!
Trav and I didn't head home until almost midnight. Normally that would be just fine, but the next day was Black Friday and Air was picking me up at 3:30am to start shopping!

I didn't end up falling asleep until after 1, and my alarm woke me from my "nap" at 3! I threw on some clothes and Air and I were off. We started at Kohl's where we got some great deals. The line was so long that by 4:30 it wrapped all the way around the store and back outside! We were in line by 4:30 and didn't check out until almost 6! It was really fun though. Next we hit Kmart, then Target, then Gottschalks and Sears. By then it was almost 11 and I was pretty much delirious from my lack of sleep!

Air took me home and I showed Trav all my treasures. I got he and I some great new slippers, I got some new boots with the fur (with the fur), a new scarf and glove set, a few Christmas coffee to go mugs, a digital photo frame, and my brother a hoodie for his birthday! All for the regular price of my boots with the fur and Trav's slippers! It was a successful trip. Although I normally buy gifts on Black Friday and this year I pretty much only managed to buy for Trav and I!

I took a nap before Trav and I headed to my parents for my brothers 23rd birthday dinner. We had another feast, this time of Waikiki Meatballs! Happy Birthday Joel!

Saturday we woke up early and headed to Air's house. Air and I went shopping for all the goodies we needed for tailgating because today was the CIVIL WAR baby!! We got crackers and dip, carrots, fruit, and mixers for our drinks! We headed to the liquor store to get vodka. We were making cran and vod's, and rasp red bull and vod's!






Trav and K tailgating before the game







Trav, me, Air, Air's friend, and Sharm before the game






Trav and I. GO BEAVS!!!!

We tailgated with Air, K, Sharm, Keith, Cheryl, and a few others from noon - 3:30 when Trav and I headed to the stadium. The weather was perfect! It was cool out, but the sun was out and it was in the 60's! The stadium was packed. I've never seen it so full. I don't think there was an empty seat! It was a rough game. Thank goodness I'd already had several drinks to numb the pain. I was the Beavers biggest fan, at least in our section. I screamed for the Beavers, but I don't think they could hear me. The Ducks won. They won the Civil War at OUR stadium, and took away our hopes of going to the Rose Bowl. Oh man was it a tough loss. After the game we met up with Air and K to drown our sorrows a little more at the bar. Overall it was a really fun day and the team spirit for the Beavers was alive. The stadium was even louder with fans cheering than it was for the USC game I think!

Sunday we slept in until noon. We dinked around at Air's for a while and then headed to Trav's parents to borrow their truck so we could go cut down our Christmas Tree. We went to our regular spot in Lewisburg and it wasn't open. It was slim pickins last year so we were afraid they might be closing. Hopefully they just need a couple years to grow the baby trees and they will re-open! We headed to a place in Albany we'd heard of to check out their goods. We LOVE it! They have several different kinds of trees and you pick which kind you want and they have a Christmas cart that they pick you up in. It's carried by a big tractor and they drop you off in the section of tree you want. You find, cut down, and tag the tree you want and carry it to the main road where there is a little area to sit and wait for the Christmas "trolly" to come back around and pick up you, and your tree! Trav and I found a great tree and they had a huge selection! When you get back they unload your tree and even shake all the loose pine needles of in a shaker machine. Then where you go to pay they have free wassail and hot cocoa! It was a lot of fun. I loved the trolly ride behind the tractor!

We took our tree home, put it up in the stand and then took the truck back and went grocery shopping. When we got back we still had to clean up so we didn't get a chance to decorate the tree and house like we wanted until last night.

Monday it was SO hard getting back into the work groove! My day was busy though, so it went by really fast! When I got home I turned on the Christmas music and lit some candles and after dinner Trav and I had hot cocoa and decorated the tree. It was a lot of fun! I love the way the tree looks.

Tonight I will finish decorating the house while Trav works on TF, and Saturday Trav will put the lights up outside and put up the outside decorations!
Christmas is right around the corner!!