I Did It!

What a wonderful year!

 

Day 356 Virginia Grainger Room 209
It was Snow Day in our class today. The kids wore their pjs to school and we had a very relaxing morning drinking hot cocoa and eating donuts! Throughout the morning kids worked on a variety of snow related activities. Three of my kiddos are showing off their puppetry.

Day 358 Home
I missed a picture of our beer and cookie party!!! I can't believe it! But, I got a picture of the lone beer that was left on the back porch after the party. Amazing! Usually we have more than enough beer left over but this year there was only one!

Day 359 Home
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Day 360 Nana and Papa's House, Spokane
Oh Auntie Erin.....This is what she got Dylan for his birthday present this year. No, not Forrest - the head! Along with several other creepy, eerie, Halloween-y type things. Of course, Dylan was thrilled! And yes, it's Christmas Eve!

Day 361 Nana and Papa's House, Spokane
Santa didn't eat all his cookies this year....
Merry Christmas!

Day 362 Spokane
Steve and I snuck out for a date night dinner at Twigs. What a guy - Steve ordered off the gluten free menu so that he and I could share each other's meals! I have the best husband in the world!

Day 363 Spokane
It's a cold, beautiful morning!

Day 364 Spokane
We met Grandma for lunch on our way out of town this morning. We've had a lovely visit with everyone but it'll be good to get home.

Day 365 Valley Lanes, Omak
Hmmm....not sure what happened....according to my picture numbers, this should be New Year's Eve....but it's not! Oh well! The Green family came to town for New Year's so we joined them and the Cheesemans for a couple games of bowling. I always enjoy their visits!

Day 366 Winthrop Ice Rink
And today we joined them at the ice rink in Winthrop. We brought along Sammie Veders and the Radkes and Zoe brought her friend, Jazmin. Quite a group! A perfect way to end the year!

Almost There!

Day 347 Liberty Bell MS Gym
Tonight is Dylan's last middle school game. The poor Liberty Bell team didn't have a chance against our players! Great way to end the season.

Day 348 Home
Look at our visitors! These guys wandered in to our yard and checked everything out! They found the melted waterhole and came up to the stairs of the deck. I thought they might try climbing the stairs!

Day 349 Omak PAC
Lyndsi and I took advantage of Steve and Dylan being at a hockey game to have a little girls' night with friends. Jenna and Erin Radke, and Reily and Lynell Morrison-Nelson met us at the Omak Christmas parade. The girls rode on the Big R float. Then we all went to the Breadline for dinner and to the PAC for The Nutcracker performance. We had a fun night!

Day 350 Home
Poor Lucy.....

Day 351 Home
Just lights! No ornaments yet! But isn't it pretty?

Day 352 Okanogan Middle School Cafeteria
Dylan had his basketball banquet tonight. Look at all those 8th grade boys! They're all getting so big!
 

Day 353 Home
Dylan is 14 years old today! As you can tell, he was VERY cooperative for his picture! We got him out of bed early enough to have a hot breakfast but couldn't quite get the smile on his face!

Day 354 VG Room 209
My favorite activity of the year! I love when these little guys get made every year. They're so happy and cheerful!

Day 355 Home
I have some very creative and thoughtful friends! I came home to a gift box filled with homemade cookie and biscuit mixes, homemade vanilla extract, homemade soap and homemade spice mix. Then I opened my ornament of the year from my friend, Tess. She made them herself this year! It just so happens that all these goodies matched and looked like they came from the same household!

Happy New Year!

Day 335 Nana and Papa's House, Spokane
Whenever we go to Spokane we get to play games. Unfortunately, we don't do this enough at home so it's always special times. In this picture, Erin is hiding off camera.

Day 337 Cottonwood Kennels, Riverside
Lucy loves coming home from the kennels! She doesn't really like to be there but we know she's well taken care of while she's there.

Day 338 Home
Oh Dylan....he loves playing tricks on his sister! Lyndsi is none too happy about this one!

Day 340 Home
One of my favorite songs! Lyndsi was in an artistic mood and made these pretty little signs for me. My children are so sweet!

Day 341 Home
Here is what Dylan gives me in his sweetness! Fake blood hanging from the ceiling! This is left-over from Halloween and it may be there forever....

Day 342 The Breadline, Omak
We found ourselves without children tonight so we went out for dinner together. Look who we ran into! Amy and Jeff had already begun when we got there but we joined them anyway.

Day 343 Downtown Okanogan
Lyndsi and her friends in the 5th grade Honor Choir sang Christmas carols for downtown's Get Lit tree lighting ceremony. It was so cold that they only sang a few songs outside and then went home!

Day 344 Home
Jenna went with us to get our Christmas tree today. Dylan ran inside before I could get the picture so she sat with Lyndsi for me!

Day 345 Home
Brrrrrrrrr!!!!! Two straight weeks of cold weather and indoor recess - yuck!

Day 346 Okanogan Middle School
Lyndsi started basketball practice tonight! Yay!

And Happy Boxing Day, Too!

Day 328 Home
I love this little contraption! Steve bought me a water cooler several years ago and I use it every day! My drinking water comes from it - because I like the flavor - and my tea water comes from it - because it heats up quickly! Thank you, Steve!

Day 329 Home
See these socks? I got these socks when I was pregnant with Dylan! These are some very old socks! My good friend, Tess, got them for me when I was pregnant. They were so cute....and they still are!

Day 330 Home
Check out this sunset! We live in an amazing part of the world! We often get gorgeous sunsets and sunrises....when I'm up early enough to see them!

Day 331 Home
And here's the sunrise!

Day 332 Tonasket Middle School Parking Lot
Dylan had a basketball game in Tonasket tonight. He and Lyndsi were getting along so well after the game....

Day 333 Home
Told you I was having trouble keeping plants alive! This is the Rosemary plant I mentioned in a previous post. I mistakenly called that one a Rosemary but that was a Sage of some sort. I'm not having much luck at all!

Day 334 The Evans Family Home
Thanksgiving Day! We spent the afternoon with Eric, Malana, Chase, Sophia, Blake, Uncle Lee, Aunt Georgie, Kim, Justin, Aunt Barb, Grandma and Great-Grandma Margaret. I love how my kids enjoy their cousins so much!

And to All a Good Night!

Day 318 Home
My fall mantle. I love my fall mantle!

Day 319 Home
Check out the carrot Lyndsi found at the store! This was her dinner vegie of choice tonight!

Day 320 Okanogan Middle School
It's hard to see Dylan but he's there, off to the right of the basket! Grandma Linda was here to watch this game with us. Basketball has been fun to watch this year. The boys really have come together and are all playing well.

Day 321 Home
See that tiny little glow at the tip-top of the tree? That's an owl looking at me!

Day 322 Skyhigh Trampolining, Spokane
Lyndsi wanted to have her birthday party in Spokane this year so we brought these 3 girls with us. They jumped on trampolines, ate pizza, sat in Nana and Papa's hot tub, and watched movies in Nana and Papa's basement. They had so much fun!

Day 323 Home
These are all mine and Lyndsi's birthday cards combined. We are so lucky to be so loved!

Day 324 Home
My good friend, Dayla, made me this coffee sleeve. Isn't it cute! Thank you, Dayla!

Day 325 Home
I love my new pillow! I'm hoping to transform my living room into these colors over the next few months. These are my "happy" colors!

Day 326 Salmon Creek Coffee Company
The coffee shop held an artists' reception for all the kids whose art was displayed here. They served hot cocoa and gave the kids the opportunity to talk to adults about their artwork. Lyndsi found 2 of her friends lounging on the couch.

Day 327 Virginia Grainger Elementary
Meet Evan and Flat Stanley! Evan needed his picture taken with Flat Stanley before he mailed Flat Stanley off on an adventure. So I used this picture for today!

Merry Christmas to All!

Day 310 Home
Lyndsi made dinner tonight - tater tot casserole. This is one of my childhood favorites! There's just enough left over for my lunch tomorrow!

Day 311 Home
Snow! Not enough to call it a snow day but there's snow! I'm not as excited about it as the kids are but I do love how clean everything looks when the first snow falls every year.

Day 312 Home
What happened to my green thumb? Second potted herb I've killed in less than a month. This one was rosemary. It just sort of shriveled up and died!



Day 313 Okanogan Middle School Cafeteria
Dylan's football banquet was tonight. Coach Radke had some encouraging words and an award for Dylan. Til next year!

Day 314 Virginia Grainger Elementary
Lyndsi, Jenna, and Reily are all part of the 5th grade Honor Choir. They put on a lovely Veteran's Day assembly today.

Day 315 Salmon Creek Coffee Company
The local coffee shop displayed art made by VG students in their building. It was so fun to walk through and see the art made by my kiddos!

Day 316 Home
Look at my cute owl napkin rings! Linda gave these cuties to me for my birthday!
 

Day 317 Apple Springs Nursing Home
Dylan and his Boy Scout troop put on a Veteran's Day show for the residents of Apple Springs Assisted Living. They gave speeches about Veteran's Day and did a flag ceremony.