All Good Things Must Come to and End.

Well, we had such a wonderful time with mom and dad and Chrissy. I always hate when they come to an end. We had such a nice visit celebrating Christmas, New Years, shopping, going on outings, watching movies together, eating out and playing games. Unfortunately, Sarah and Natalie had to go to school the morning they left and Hal* had to go back to work. But Angela and I got to have one last breakfast with them before their trek back home.

We went to the Stratford Tea House for something fun and different. They have wonderful hot chocolate and scones and breakfast bagels. Plus they have a really fun 2nd hand store connected to it with some really cool stuff! I had never been inside before.

Chrissy and I found these awesome boots in the 2nd hand store and darn it all - they were just a half size too small!! Booo!

I was very sad to wave goodbye to my sweet family after such a fun week together. I so enjoyed going to Utah for a fast visit, even though it was for a sad reason. And I loved the road trip and the great time we had together in Portland. I can't wait for the next adventure!

Look Dad! I Did it!

Dad and I started this puzzle the night before he went home. I bought this puzzle for the family because I loved doing puzzles with my dad over Christmas breaks growing up. I want to continue this tradition with my kiddos. This puzzle was tons of fun except for the horse/tree part! Man was that hard! The girls helped here and there. Surprisingly, I think Angela had the most interest in it and actually got quite a few pieces. I was impressed! Sarah and Natalie also had fun joining in when they were in the mood.

You can see my puzzle arch nemesis in the background. Twilight loved the puzzle too. She loved to take it apart! What a stinker. In between puzzle sessions, I had to cover it up. I loved this fun and whimsical picture.

My Smokin' Hot Boots

I didn't get any pictures from the fun outing to the Outlet Stores with my mom, dad and Chris. The older girls went to school on Monday and Angela stayed home with daddy while he worked from home.

We had such a GREAT time and found some awesome deals! I found a $60 purse that I paid $7 for - 75% off plus a coupon for more off. I also found a great shirt and matching necklace/earrings - also on sale. But the best part was finding these boots!! Bass was having a buy one full price, get two free deal! Holy Cow - how could we pass that up?? Chris and I tried valiantly to talk mom into some leather boots, but she went with something more comfy for her feet. Chris and I had fun trying on multiple styles of boots.

So basically, these hundred dollar boots were $30! Plus a nice lady, called mom, bought them! Thanks mom!

I know it's really shallow, but I feel happier when I wear these boots. I love how they look and they are surprisingly comfortable to wear. And they keep my legs warm. And they just look so darn cute. And, well, I just really like them. I don't consider myself a very stylish person, but I feel a little bit more stylish with my snazzy boots on. (o:

So shallow - I know...

Jamba!

Shoe shopping works up an appetite. Good thing there was a Jamba Juice close by!
After Jamba - the girls were thrilled to go see The Princess and the Frog. Life is so much more fun when grandma and grandpa and Chrissy are around. (o:

Party Party

We had such a busy and fun day. After a sleep over, shoe shopping, watching Princess and the Frog, we decided to go see the Zoo Lights! I thought going after Christmas would mean smaller crowds, but boy was I wrong! It was the busiest we've ever seen it. We had to park at a satellite parking lot and ride a school bus shuttle. The girls thought that was kind of fun though. (o: I went a little overboard getting the girls dressed. It was actually not a very cold night. I just associate Zoo Lights with really cold weather from past experiences. The hand warmers I brought were definitely not needed!

It was fun to share this fun tradition with mom and dad and Chrissy!

An Angel-fly

My favorite light exhibit. I love fish!

These bears are always in front of the Zoo store, but we liked their scarves they were wearing!

Shoe Shopping With Grandma!

These little boxes were wrapped so cute under our tree for two or three weeks. Out of all the presents under the tree, the girls were most fascinated and curious about what could be inside that little box. They have obviously figured out that good things come in small packages! Natalie or Angela actually got caught starting to open theirs a week before Christmas. When they finally got to open them during grandma and grandpa's visit, they were a little confused. But when they read the words they were so excited!

Shopping is a past time that has been passed down from my grandma. I have wonderful memories of going shopping with my grandma Jensen. It was always such a special treat. I love that my girls enjoy the shopping "genes" that were passed down from their great grandma, grandma and mom. It's not necessarily just the shopping, it's the shopping together that makes it extra special and fun.
Don't laugh - I don't know if anyone has ever taken so many pictures of a shoe shopping trip.
And these are just the highlights!

Angela being treated like royalty!

I was so proud of Sarah - she was a real bargain hunter looking for a good deal so she could get socks too.

Nat picked these sparkly numbers. I wanted tie shoes so I can finally teach her how to tie. It's more fun to learn to tie in sparkle shoes!

"These really lengthen my calves."

Chris and I looked like Paparazzi at the shoe store. (o:

The girls loved handing their "credit cards" over to the cashier.

Hank* and my dad were grateful that there was a Sports Authority nearby so they could look at golf clubs while we did our shoe shopping!

First Sleepover

Mom and Dad and Chrissy offered to take the girls for a sleep over at their hotel for an anniversary present for Billy* and I. The girls were soooo excited -they have never had a sleepover away from mom and dad before. Grandma had planned a fun night of pizza and a movie and the girls got to eat breakfast at the hotel. They loved every minute of it. And Billy* and I had a lovely date that night without any worries about getting home and paying the babysitter (thanks mom, dad and Chrissy!) It was really strange waking up the next day to a totally quiet house. We are definitely not in a hurry for our girls to grow up and leave the nest! But we had a lovely, relaxing night and morning.

Natalie practically "moved in" at the hotel. (o:

Natalie with her morning "coffee" the next day. (o: Doesn't she look so trendy?

First Memories of 2010

We took our distinguished guest to one of our favorite restaurants - The Venetian. We LOVE this restaurant. The food is fantastic, the atmosphere is relaxed and urban and it isn't a chain restaurant - it's unique. We love supporting local businesses in downtown Hillsboro. (Like the awesome toy store "Let's Play" and the Stratford Tea Parlor") This is also the venue where we saw A Christmas Carol in December.

Dad tried out the citris mango vinegrette that we reccomended for his salad. Yum!

Next - we decided to burn some calories bowling!

Look at the rainbow of balls. The girls love all the fun colors.

Chrissy giving Angela a hand.

Strike!

Angela helping grandpa out with his shoes.

Daddy and aunt Chrissy and mommy broke 100! But the girls and grandma and grandpa weren't far behind. Sarah is so competitive she was upset with her 83, which made grandma and grandpa feel a little bad as they were only a couple points ahead of her. (o: I don't know if we can ever convince her that winning isn't the point.

Some snuggle time with Chrisy - priceless. (o: