Austyn is in 2nd grade and is working so very hard to enter the T.A.G. (Talented and Gifted) program at her school. She is also in the top reading group in her class and has put so much extra time and effort at home and school on her reading. She enjoys school and does excellent in math too. Her conferences were outstanding and it's always fun to hear what a good kind girl she is from other people. Makes me feel like we're doing something right. She played soccer and volleyball this fall and absolutely loved them. She bloomed into quite the soccer player over the last year. Volleyball is still her favorite. She will be in swim lessons after the first of the year.
Quade is in Kindergarten and it is the highlight of his LIFE. He is loving everything about it and is a star student. We just had his conferences and we were told that he is in the highest reading group too. He is constantly reading everything he can sound out. It's amazing. We were also told that his teacher would take 100 students just like Quade. That makes me so happy to hear, because of Quades "Quade Moments". He played soccer this fall and then tried wrestling for the first time. It's so different having a boy in sports than how it's been with Austyn. He will be doing swim lessons after the first of the year.
Jordan is settling into his new role as Captain at the Fire Station. He continues to be involved with many different committees at work and volunteering at the JC Fire Station. He has enjoyed being caught up on projects around the house and can start fun ones he's been waiting to do. He was able to go down to California to the Camp Fire and help there for almost 2 weeks. He was very excited to go on a conflagration. It was his first one to be involved with. The pictures and the stories he has of the town of Paradise are crazy. What a devastating time for so many people.
I made it my goal to have all my Christmas shopping and wrapping ALL done by the beginning of December and I DID IT!!!!! Feels so good to be ahead of the game. We are going to see what the Oregon Gardens in Salem have to offer for Christmas activities this year. I've heard wonderful things about it and am excited to go see. I've been subbing at school a little more lately and will be doing all the state testing in January. We will be going to Disneyland Jan 20-27. My parents, Chad, Jasmin, and her family are going too. We are all on the same flight and possibly staying at the same hotel. We are all so excited. The kids have been saving for this for a year now and have close to $1500 saved up for the trip. They returned cans for a year and had some scrap metal given to them. I'm completely amazed at the amount of money from basically just cans. And that's just from like 6-7 people. I want to keep doing this every year and we can take a family trip each January from the year worth of can returns.
I don't know why these pictures downloaded out of order, sorry!!
Kids helping my Dad carry his Christmas tree
My Dad got Quade this huge belt buckle and he
was so excited about it
Kids making Christmas cookies with Aunt Diane
We made little Christmas ornaments
Quade cutting down the Christmas tree for the
Fire Station
Austyn wanted a turn trying to cut with the saw
We got a tree for the end of our driveway. It was so big
we had to use the backhoe to raise it. The kids decorated it
and since putting it up, we have had a secret Santa leave
the kids presents under the tree everyday.
The kids and Jordan put Quades CAT train around
our tree.
Another one of Quade helping my Dad carry his tree
This one was when the kids were pretending to be cookie
judges. I think that was their way of getting to taste each
kind of cookie.
While Jordan was in California my parents took the kids and
I to the Aquarium
Jordan was able to send us some pictures while he
was on the fire
This is our tree this year. Jordan and I decided
that since we love putting our tree in front of the window,
we needed to get a fake tree. With the wood stove right next
to it, it just gets too dry.
It's a 12' tree prelite from Costco. It's super cool too, the lights
can change from white to color and they can blink if you want too.
Quade got to hang an elk head in his room after
Jordan got a new one this year. He decided to decorate it
with Christmas ornaments.
Here's our beautiful house
The finished products
Meat Room Fun!!
Pumpkin carving time
The kids do such a wonderful job. They draw
out the face and Jordan carves it for them.
Aunt Debi got them these cool teeth to poke in them.
Decorating their Halloween gingerbread house
Jordan decided to dress like Quade for Halloween
She's ready for Disneyland in January
Aquarium fun
Jordan and I went to the Metallica concert in Portland.
He was so excited. He has been wanting to go to one of their
concerts for years and years.
More cookies.
Our annual Mimication while the boys are off Elk hunting
We went to Wings and Waves water park in McMinnville.
Then over to our very favorite Driftwood shores for 2 nights.
The boys were VERY successful this year. All three
of the got a huge bull. It will be a year they will
remember for ever.
Quade being Quade
Chad's elk
Our fancy bowling shoes while on Mimication.
We were the only ones at the bowling alley. It was
so much fun.
Dad's elk
Every time I go get the kids pancakes and bacon
and they eat it in the pool on Mimication.
Cutting up their elk.
Fall Shinanigans
Jordan's elk
As we were driving to the coast we passed
this on the road. How neat!
Another Mimication tradition. Ordering Pizza to the room
and watching movies
The swimmers
Feeding the seagulls
Love this picture. And best of all, all three of these
kiddos are cousins
We put up this wood shed to store our wood in. It's going
to be so nice to have it all nicely stacked and easy to get to.
Quades soccer game
I believe there is 18 cords of wood in there
We all went to Rolloff Farms up near Portland.
Jordan took the kids hunting
For Jordans promotion my parents got him a this motorcycle.
He has always wanted one, but are very hard to find. They only made them for a couple years and
it was back in 1986 I think. He was like a little kid when he got it.
Building the wood shed
First Day of School
First Day of School. He got sick on the
first day and had to come home early. Jordan and I
had gone to donate blood so my Mom and to go get him.
What a way to start out the year. That's Quade.
I LOVE dressing the kids up!!!! It's so much fun.
