A Touch Of Tyrell

Since I got my road bike for my birthday in October I've been out riding most Saturday mornings. It's been really, really fun. We've gone anywhere between 14-36 miles.  Friday night (at the Moss's hayride) Cheryl invited me to ride with her, her husband, and some guys from his work Saturday morning.  I'm ALWAYS excited/looking forward to the next ride! This time we loaded up our bikes and drove to Mesa so we could ride the Usery pass loop.  It was just over 20 miles and a really, really nice ride. I'm already looking forward to the next time I can ride it. It's beautiful! There is a 3.5 mile uphill climb and I totally killed it! Everyone made me feel pretty good about it (it does help that I almost weigh half as much as most of them). And then they all slaughtered me on the downhill. Go figure! We were going to do the loop twice but another friend that came with us was throwing a party that evening and needed to get home. But...

Some of our friends invited us to their annual Christmas hayride. They are our neighbors too so we just walked over there last night. We ate lots of cookies and talked with lots of friends and MARVELED at their family gingerbread house.  It was legit. Like, it could honestly have won some awards or something. But I didn't get a picture of it. Just of Jake and Breckie looking at it! That night Breckie absolutely REFUSED to go to bed. (think crying fits until puking kind-of refusing) So she stayed up till 11:30 until she pretty much passed out. 

This little girl!!! So hilarious and naughty and so, so much like me. She is talking non-stop and she's a little parrot. She will literally repeat anything you say. She loves to talk, draw, color, be outside, play in the dirt, she is amazing at putting herself to bed and her laugh will bring you nothing but pure happiness!

Last Saturday was the Edward Jones Christmas party.   Last year there was a photo booth (which was the highlight of the party) so I was hoping it'd be there this year too. Lucky for me: Not only was the photo booth there but the Millers were there too (well, technically we came/went together but…)  We were A LOT better at taking pictures last year but the second one down on the group pictures is the best! We ate lots of food and LOTS of dessert and each of us gambled away $1,000 playing craps (fake money, of course!!!!). None of us had ever played so we were like the dumb, sober ones learning from the less sober advisors… AND we got to bring home a beta fish for the kids (they were the centerpieces). Lucky for us Everett had just asked for a fish a few days prior. He also asked for a dog, not a puppy, and said that he really, really wanted a BIG dog. Unlucky for me a big dog showed up on our front porch this morning. He must have been lost because...

Sometimes I forget to document life. Living. Not just events that happened, things we did, or outing we went on… but things we do. All the time. 

Jake had an office open house last Friday night.  In preparation for his open house we spent several evenings decorating his office, putting up a tree, and drinking hot chocolate. We all really enjoyed it and decided we'd make it a new tradition to decorate Dad's office for Christmas. And then probably eat cookies at Kneeders since it's in the same parking lot. This year Breckie had a star (sugar cookie), Everett a tree, and Jake and I had mint brownies. SO GOOD.  On Friday, a few minutes before the open house, the kids and I dropped off all the food. We planned to run some errands and then come back for the end.  As soon as we got to our first destination:  It wasn't a big deal though. Since it was perfect outside, I just rolled down the windows and prepared my church lesson on my phone while they slept. It worked out really well, actually! When they woke up we went inside Ikea. I was picking up the last things I needed for Breckies room. Ev...

I went running in the fields behind our neighborhood this weekend. They've had tractors back there for a few weeks and it looks like they might plant something soon.  I'm anxious to see what they're going to grow since it's only been tumbleweeds since we moved in 18 months ago. Hopefully it will be a good backdrop for taking pictures :)