Weekend happenings

Yes i do get out every now and then
my boys house art work, i am sure this may be Tanner's last year but i could be pleasently surprised and he'll want to keep doing them
Grandpa and the boys
Popping away. (homemade houses don't come with packing popper things) hee hee
just starting on the tree. ( i think this is the biggest tree we've gotten to date) this tree is huge, haven't gotten a good enough picture to show how big it really is. next year will be hard to top but i am sure Dax will manage.


We have spent the week gradually decorating the tree and house. I was thinking that this is the year I'll get a second tree and decorate it like the display trees you see at Macy's. I want it to match my colors at home. My neighbor/ friend did it this year and i love hers she didn't spend allot either. Not sure I may still do it but for sure I plan to do it next year. i thought maybe the second tree can be a fake frocked one( it will be on sale after the holidays and will be worth waiting another year). anyway. Dax really loves the tree with all the kids ornaments and the ones we collect year after year. he calls it our "family tree" and when i brought it up that i may do a themed tree instead he sounded crushed. So the family tree will remain this year and every year ever after even when were old and gray, but i am having that second tree as well...

Sat. after the games i picked up my parents from the airport. they are staying 2 weeks. we got settled in had some fish and chips, then later in the evening i went with a group to a wine tasting and pairing class and then off to dinner at Beaches on the river. I love the river during the holidays. This morning off to a class in Hillsboro. Lunch at red robin with my friends for our 3 birthdays then home to make our gingerbread houses. i keep it simple and buy a already made house, the boys like it. a few years back a friend gave me a great gingerbread recipe and the whole how to. she's an artist of gingerbread houses, they never fail year after year. i am not as lucky so i remain using the good old Costco or Walmart pre built houses.

i did get involved in a cookie exchange but wasn't able to attend, my friend took my cookies in for me and came back with a great assortment. i plan to freeze them for small plates for the neighbors. I watched a movie with my parents and off to bed. Monday it's Portland to shop til we drop...

Cards

Okay just a quick FYI.. You may or may not receive a card from me this year. One of my goals was not to stress out this year and I am doing a great job so far. my parents are coming out today for 2 weeks i cannot wait. i have allot planned with parties and Christmas ships and what not but already plan to do what we really want to do and not feel obligated. my shopping is all done thanks to Dax.. Thanks honey. sometimes his traveling comes in handy. we have our tree, it's almost decorated. the house is clean and decorated, i got the outside lights up, i ran 30 miles this week, i got cookies made for an exchanged, i planned a beach weekend. i have to say life is pretty good.. but as for cards you'll just have to wait and see.. if they don't make it out you can always check on me here.. hee hee. i almost feel like i don't have to do a holiday letter.. but a nice picture card would be cool... well off to Jake's game and then to the airport.. YEAH!!!! oh and i have to tell you about Tanner's Myth Busters adventure he had Friday.. waiting on pictures from my friend, then i can tell you all about it. remember i have about 4 blogs back i did in one day.. it was a fun thanksgiving week.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

YES, WE STAYED IN OUR PJ'S ALL DAY!!!

To me hehehe. the Big 39.. Last Sat. we went to the melting pot for dinner. We figured maybe we should do my birthday 1st(before the holiday craziness) because typically i am pretty sick of eating and food by the time the 30th rolls around. My birthday was just the way i wanted it. Got up, went for a 10 mile run up in the hills with Dee Anna and Lisa. came home took a bath.

You know I have the most amazing boys in this house. the boys had decorated the house while i was gone and made me my favorite breakfast of chorizo and eggs. They both made me homemade cards and a homemade neckless from Tanner. I got a good book some fun money. AND my Garmen GPS arm band that will tell me everything from how fast i am running, and how far my pace at all times throughout my run, my milage my calories. a final run down on my run and sets me up to make goals for myself etc etc. you name it it does it. even tell me where to go if i get lost... It will do the same for when i am biking too I LOVE IT. I am pretty stoked.
spent the rest of the day playing mexican trains and watching movies. it was a great day exactly the way i wanted to spend it..

ZOO Lights

Cocoa fix..
After getting the tree home and in the stand we ate some chicken pot pie and then ventured out to the zoo for the zoo lights. we go every year again we try to make it Friday after thanksgiving. Every year it's the same but always so much fun. This year they had a few new lights.

Pigs flying my favorite
Lights are my favorite this time of the year.(I'll probably post a zoo trip 2-3 times this year. (just like those pumpkin patches) I would love to go all out at my home and have at our old house but when we moved into the house we are in now, it sits extremely high. higher then you would think, making it very difficult to get up there. we thought of paying some one not even sure if someone would do it but i have a hard time justifying it. we did ask these landscapers who also do gutters and they said NO! so sadly we do the bare minimal at the Boyle house. few icicles and over the doorway. our next house we'll keep that in mind.. hehe.

Getting our Tree

Instead of Black Friday Our Post Thanksgiving Tradition is that we get our tree if not Friday sometime during the weekend. Because Dax has another trip planned we wanted to be sure we went.
We always have to get the biggest tree, we go to the same farm we have went to since moving here. we always spend a good 1 1.5 hour looking for the biggest and fattest Doug Fir. (no nobles here)

this was my fave even with the bunny ears. The one we got we were sure was the biggest one yet in the 15 years we have cut our xmas tree, when we got it home it looked as big as last years, sure smells good. i do the lights and the boys deco. i still do gold ribbon and beads even though the past few years i have been tempted to go the blue silver route with the tree and the rest of the house. maybe gold will be back in style next year. tee hee

Random Pictures

Thanks giving Day

Tanner's 13th Birthday Can't beat Mint Ice cream Cake and Guitar hero

Couple of our Rocket adventure
It really did work but only once:(
Sniper

Tanner sparring (he's in the Red)
Breaking a board

Doing his Form. ( he tests for his blue belt/black stripe December 19th)

Leftovers

I made my two favorite things with Turkey leftovers.. Homemade pot pie. and Today Chicken wild rice soup.. YUM! waiting for pictures to upload so thought I'd share a tid bit with you. Not sure if i have enough to make my dumplings may have to wait until my folks come out and we make another turkey. I thought i may make beef Shepard's pie since i have a ton of potatoes left..