Merry Christmas!

“Oh, Christmas isn't just a day; it's a frame of mind…”- The Miracle on 34th Street-

Hunter is doing great in 1st grade. His favorite part about being in school all day is eating lunch with his buddies and recess. He is a fantastic reader and I’m constantly finding him lying on his bed quietly reading. He loves our Wii gaming system and insists that he must practice daily if he wants to be a video game designer when he grows up. Hunter played T-ball this summer. He runs like the speed of slow motion… he’ll get to the next base or Home when he gets there. Hoping he is a bit faster next month for YMCA Basketball.

Madison is playing the Baritone in Beginners’ Band. Not only is she the only girl playing the Baritone, she happens to be the only student. Which, you know… is pretty awesome when you’re in the 5th grade. Her grades are wonderful and she is also an avid reader. She continues to excel in Volleyball. Her long legs definitely give her the advantage in the game. She also plays YMCA Basketball in-between seasons.

Alexandra, our resident “Eagle”, is enjoying her freshman year and all the privileges that come with growing up. She continues to bring home fantastic reports and is a part of the Science Club. She is also taking Spanish for the first time. With her knowledge and easy understanding of the language I’m excited to see how quickly the other two will pick it up. Ali is earning volunteer hours for graduation by doing crafts with children that attend PTA meetings with their parents.

Scott spent several days this summer ocean fishing. He happily stocked the freezer with delicious Tuna & Halibut. Living close to the ocean is a wonderful thing! In August he granted the girls and I our wish to visit Forks, Washington. Yes, the poor guy lives with Twilight junkies. We ended our trip at Cabela’s in Lacey. Even dads need rewards while on vacation. Scott and his dad left at the end of September for a two week Moose hunt in northern Canada. Bullwinkle was not to be found but they had a great time visiting some beautiful country.

In June I began my journey back into the working world as a part-time teller with Chase Bank. I’ve been blessed with great hours and an amazing manager. A paycheck with my name on it is pretty cool, too. I’m still active with the PTA and just finished our student holiday store. One of my most favorite events! I love watching little ones shop for their families. One year later and I am still at my goal weight. What an amazing feeling!!

Merry Christmas and Happy 2011!
Scott, Kimberly, Alexandra, Madison & Hunter

Where Am I??

How is it that I'm looking July 29th in the face already??  How do we stop time?  I just need a few weeks... Is that too much to ask?

All is well out in the Great Northwest.  Sun is shining and temps are warm.  Life is good.  Alexandra promoted on the 8th of June and is now officially a high school student.  The program was fantastic and she was beautiful.  She left school with four 4.0 GPA's in a row.  There are no words to express how proud of her we are.  I have a ton of pictures that need posting... I promise to come back soon and get everyone caught up to date.

One week after school let out I began working as a part time teller for Chase Bank.  It's been interesting as I try to get back into the swing of the banking world.  At times I think I've got my groove back and then others I think my feet are too tired to dread the waters.

That is it for now.  Until then, enjoy life & thank God for it!!

Kimberly & Crew

Spring Sports!

Madison recently finished Spring Volleyball.  In twelve months she has played on four teams.  She has improved tenfolds and learned a few things about her own strengths.  She realized that hard work and determination will always pay off.  A few of her teammates were already self sufficient in the preteen screaming mini-whiny-drama queen rolls.  Good heavens... The coach wasn't the only one that left practice with a headache.

This is Hunter's first year playing T-ball. I have to admit that I'm super excited to finally have a child that is remotely interested. He has much to learn, but at this stage in the game it's just cool to hang out with friends outside of school. God bless those that volunteer to coach! I've turned into the world's most paranoid mother when it comes to lice outbreaks. As you can see I talked Scott into buying Hunter his very own batting helmet. Can you tell he is a "big fan of Batman?"  The Gingerbread House is sponsoring his team.  He is always willing to go in after a game for lunch & show off his shirt.

I Need A Stopwatch

Holy Cow, it's April 28th already! So many events have happened since I last posted. Let's see if I can remember them all:

Easter:
We enjoyed a peaceful Easter at home this year. We slept in, enjoyed laying on the couch in our Pajamas watching "Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Sqeakquel". The sun came out for almost an hour. During that time I raced to finish filling plastic eggs and scattered them in the pasture. Milo even enjoyed it, going on point a few times as he found one for Hunter.

 

Birthdays:

I'm a bad mom. I didn't capture Madison's & Hunter's birthdays on camera. Their birthdays landed in the middle of the week. Both took cookies & juice pouches to school. Both had sport practice on each other's birthdays. We offered dinner out for each. Madison chose the local Chinese place and Hunter chose A&W. The only time I had my camera in hand was when Scott presented Hunter with his almost new bike. The frame use to be Ali's and pink as they come. Since Hunter is a huge Batman fan, Scott took everything apart, painted, purchase new tires, seat, pedals, handle grips and Batman reflector stickers. Madi was given a camera that she desperately wanted.

Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm:

Last week the kids & I enjoyed our 2nd annual "Skipping School with Mom Day". The weather wasn't as beautiful as last year. Mt. Hood hid behind a wall of thick clouds. But, the crowds were light and our spirits were high. Between the girls and I we must have taken over 200 photos. So fun to see what they're interested in shooting. Because the clouds were bright, taking photos of Hunter was almost impossible. His eyes are sensitive and his sunglasses had disappeared from the car. Thus, the reason for his closed eyes.

Can you tell Hunter is done with photos?

Project Bathroom: Finished!!

The final touches to our remodeled bathroom are complete! I'm so excited to be able to give the kids their own shower... even more excited to get them out of mine! Take a look at what all was put into this adventure.  The ceiling fan & light is a brand new fixture. The wonder boys, Jay & Travis Jungwirth installed it.

Thanks so much, guys!!

Dad installed the shower head and Formica.  He did a fantastic job!

Scott installed the 12x12 vinyl tile flooring and

wood boarder along the floor & window

These are my awesome finds:

The shower curtain & bowed out rod are from Wal*Mart!

Pier1 prints and Home Interiors towel rack

The "Hope" cup was .50 @ St Paul DeVincent's.  The starfish were Christmas ornaments of Scott's mom.  We took the hooks off of them and eventually will have them placed into small shadow boxes.  The jar of shells where snuck out of Alexandra's room....Shhhh!

Conch shell candle holder  -  .50 find @ St. Paul's

Milk glass candy dish (aka: jewelry dish) - .50 find @ St. Paul's

Not much of a deal, but I couldn't pass up Shopko's shell clock!

Family Times

The Oregon Moores have implemented a New Year's Resolution for 2010: To keep in touch! It's truly scary how the months can slip by without hearing from one another. Here are some photos from our get togethers so far. Mom's birthday is next week so hopefully I'll have more photos to share soon.

February's Taco & Bowling Day
@ John & Amy's

At this point in the game, Madison has more points than I.

Go, Madi, Go!

Let Grandma show you how it's done.

I don't think there is Telekinesis in bowling, guys...

Olympic Hockey: USA vs. Canada
on the Alley's flatscreen and a cold one.
 Dan & Scott couldn't be happier!

Billie & Cassie

Colton John

January's Spaghetti Feed

@ Scott & Kim's
Madison(9), Alexandra(13), William(13), Colton(7)
Hunter(5) & Cassandra(16)
Dad & Mom

John

Amy

The Kemper Clan

The Knox Crew