Dylan was throwing a HUGE fit in the van on the way to school the other day.  He insisted on having a SNAAAACK! and was crying and carrying on.  I explained, calmly I might add, that he just had breakfast and we needed to go to the school and he did not need a snack.  He was not, however, very convinced that my answer was a good one, so he continued to cry and throw a fit as we were pulling out of the driveway.  Lydia, assuming that I was not able to hear him I guess, decided to fill me in on what was going on. 

"Maw-um, Dylan is cryy-ing."

"Yes, thank you, Lydia.  He's actually throwing a fit to try to get what he wants.  And I already explained to him that he wasn't going to get it, so I'm going to let him cry until he decides it's not worth it."

"Oh yeah, I remember when that used to work for me.  I would cry and you would do what I wanted.  But that doesn't happen anymore."

   Those little boogers DO know HOW to be and WHEN they are being manipulative!

During another van ride, the girls were asking each other who they sat next to in school.  And Lydia said,

"I sit at the trapezoid table next to J. and S.

"Oh, that's cool.  What does trapezoid mean?" Audrey inquired.

"Well, it has a line here and another line here and then two more lines here like this....umm, I don't really know.  I'm only in kindergarten."

I have to say that I laughed out loud on that one!  She was so serious! 

Have an excellent weekend!

 So I'm going to attempt to keep up with Xanga yet again.  We'll see what happens.    First, I need to update you on a few things that have been going on around here.  Things have been very busy around here, as usual.  I don't think I've written about this yet, and if I have, I've totally forgotten about it.  Anyway, I started running 13 weeks ago and I've found that I really like it.  I've been training 4 times a week.  I started by running a little over 2 miles.  Now I'm up to 3 then 4 then 3 again.  And on the 4th day, I run anywhere from 5 to 8 miles.  I ran in my first 5K on Thanksgiving and really enjoyed it.  I found out that I am very competetive and do NOT like to be passed at ALL!  haha.  Then I ran in my second race on December 1st.  It was soooo cold outside and I didn't feel very well, but I still had to run!  I just registered for my 3rd and 4th races today.  One is at midnight on New Year's Eve and the other is at 10:00 in the morning on New Year's Day.  Hopefully I don't kill myself!  I think I'm a little addicted now, don't you?  Here are a few pictures from the 5K on December 1st.  There were like 78 runners and I got 4th place among the women and 2nd for my age group

I don't know if I'll have any pictures from the next race, because I don't think anyone will come with me.  I mean, most people choose to stay inside where it's warm and where there's nice, warm, yummy food on New Year's. 

So that's one new thing that's been keeping me busy.  Also, Brad is coaching basketball again, which makes things busy, but I know he really enjoys it.  I am thankful that I'm getting to pursue a few things that I enjoy as well.  On December 3rd, I decided to audition for the local theater's production of Hello! Dolly.  After 2 crazy, nervous nights of auditioning, I was cast in the show!  I am so excited and am having a blast at rehearsals!  We have them almost every night, which is busy, but I LOVE it.  Opening night is February 15th and it runs until March 8th.  I played this same part (Mrs. Molloy) in high school, but I don't remember much of it really because that was half my life ago!

I have a few more pictures to share from stuff before Christmas.  Audrey's hip hop dance class performed at a local retirement home.  Then Brad and I got to go to a Wine-tasting party with some friends from college.  Oh and I can't forget that we watched the OSU Beavers beat the UO Ducks in the Civil War! 

OOOOOOSSSSSSSSSUUUUUUU Oregon State! Fight, Fight, Fight!

The enthusiastic hip hoppers. (:

At the wine-tasting party.

In closing, I hope you all had a great Christmas.  I will write about ours soon and I hope to hear about yours as well.  Best wishes for the New Year as well and big hugs!

So I just got back last night from a very long weekend.  My mom and I drove down to Eureka, California on Friday and then went to my great-uncle's memorial service on Saturday, and returned last night.  I drove the whole way and even pumped my own gas for the first time in my life!  (For those of you who don't know, we're not allowed to pump our own gas in Oregon, by law.)  It was a very emotional weekend full of ups and downs.  I am so thankful that we were able to go.  Uncle Sam was an amazing man, which was evidenced by the attendance at his service and all the kind words that people had to say about him.  I know I said it before, but I am so thankful for him that he is home.  The rest of us will miss him though.

It was strange driving up to the house that he and my aunt built together knowing that he wasn't going to come out on the porch to welcome us.  He collected all kinds of things at flea markets, most of which had to do with John Deere tractors, and they are all over his house (nicely organized of course) and shop.  They're just there, but he's not anymore.  So on Friday night, we just visited with family and then stayed at this kind woman's house.  She is the mother-in-law to one of my mom's cousin's daughters.  Did you get that?  I guess that makes her my second cousin or however that works.  Anyway, she was so hospitable!  My mom and I shared a room and then my aunt was in a different room.  This woman had 2 huge dogs too, Hank and Clyde, and oh my goodness, they were awesome.  Hank kept sitting on my lap!  I don't think he knew he was as big as he was.  Anyway, on Saturday we went to the service at the graveside.  That was very moving and emotional, but oh what a gorgeous day.  Now you may not know that all of California is not just full of sunny beaches and celebrities.  Eureka is in NORTHern California.  It's on the coast and my family's property is in the middle of the red wood forest.  So it's usually rainy and foggy and ALWAYS damp.  The whole week had been rainy and even a little stormy, I guess.  But on Saturday, it was sunny and pretty warm.  Uncle Sam was a veteran from World War II, so there was a veteran presentation, which was very nice.  When they played Taps for him, it was very moving.  Then we all went to the memorial service at the church.  It was a nice service.  My Uncle Sam was a very loved, cherished, respected man.  I loved hearing everything that people had to say about him.  The meal afterward was amazing...delicious and beautifully presented.  Then we went back and visited with the family some more.  On Sunday, mom and I went to church, then lunch, and finally we started the drive home.  We stopped a few times on the way home to take some pictures of that part of our trip.  I didn't really take any pictures of the services or anything.  I guess I just didn't get my camera out because it didn't always feel appropriate.  So here are the few pictures that I have.

This is a picture of the article that was written about Sam.  He was always doing something for someone.  And he usually wore plaid, flannel shirts and jeans.  He loved John Deere anything and that's how he died.  It was an accident while he was on his tractor.  He was well-loved by his family and friends.  And he talked faster than anyone I've ever heard in my life.  His smiley eyes were amazing and he had a great sense of humor.

This is the house that Uncle Sam built.  That's my grandpa and Mom standing in front.

I had to include these pictures because this was pretty funny.  We had lots of ribs left over from the meal at the church.  So yesterday, we had them for lunch.  My Aunt Lillie (Sam's wife) put bibs on all the guys cuz they were being messy.  There's My Grandpa and Uncle Ron on the left and my mom's cousin's husband and Uncle Ron again on the right.

My mom petting Miss Blue (Sam's dog.)  Blue was having a hard time missing Sam.

Here are some elk on the way home.  They were just everywhere!  These ones were in someone's yard.

The nice, warm, sunny beach in Northern California.  This is in Crescent City.  We stopped real fast just to at least step on the beach.

My mommy and me on the beach in our winter coats!

We stopped again in a camp ground in the middle of the Red Woods.  These trees are amazingly tall and huge!!

And the floor of the forest is covered with red needles.  You can't really tell in the picture, but they're beautiful. 

That's me standing next to one of the trees just so you can see how big they are.  Anyway, there are just a few pictures of part of my trip.  I wish I could have taken more along the way because it really was a beautiful drive.  All the leaves are changing and the yellows, reds, oranges, etc. are so vibrant!  Well, that was my weekend.