And So It Goes

And suddenly April is gone and I just downloaded 212 pictures from my camera.  I would have imported at LEAST that many from my stupid iPad.  However, it was being stupid, as I previously mentioned.  It even made my PC shut down in protest.  That level of stupidity is impressive because my PC is one tough biotch.

Anyway, here are a few things from this last month.  Or so.

Grandpa's 80th Birthday Party!
So many people that the only parking spots left were in the garden...

Easter!

Birthday  Brunch for April Birthdays (only the April birthdays ended up not showing--funny story!) 

80+ (some even say--gasp--90!) degree weather in April.  In Oregon.  No kiddin'.
 

A Graduation

The youngest (note I did not say the littlest) of us did it.  She graduated from something other than high school.  

Several grueling interview steps followed by months of training, topped off with a challenging two-week course at DPSST (Department of Public Safety Standards and Training) and voila!  She's now a Basic Telecommunications Officer. 

Way to go, Mo!

Spring

Spring used to mean track & field and softball.  This meant packing a lawn chair, a blanket, a down coat, a scarf and hat, a rain coat, an umbrella, sunglasses, rain boots and flip flops.

And planning to use all of them in one afternoon.

Now that everyone's all adult (said in a super-sarcastic and drawn-out tone) and moving on with their lives, spring means...well, spring.  Which is great, but the 'old days' were great too.  

So I did a little digging and found....

Some Softball!!!

NOTE: that is not MY finger attempting to pick my nose!

Bring it, spring!

Upto Pt 2

Figure it's way past time to share another edition of what Alana's 'up to' for her uncles who are so very far away.

She's chillaxin' with Auntie Mo-Mo.
 

She's fixing the leaky garbage disposal with Daddy.  Yes, she's playing with an electric drill--but only with supervision.

She's enjoying the Oregon Coast.

She's perfecting her fake sleeping on the couch she got for Christmas.

And as usual...she's being CUTE (which includes growing hair)!

The Trip I Missed But Not Really

WARNING: this post will be a little bit whiny but it has a good ending so stay with me.  Thanks.  Okay.  Here it goes.

Once upon a time I planned a beach trip.  Not a big deal, right?  With so many siblings out and about around the globe, I wanted some good old-fashioned fun when they started trickling in for Christmas.  So I researched my booty off for M.O.N.T.H.S. to find something that was affordable, beachfront-ish, had a game room and hot tub and could fit the family.  So I found it.  Created a menu sign-up, harped about pre-shopping and pre-planning, made sure everyone had maps and directions.  

And meanwhile was soooooooooo incredibly excited to go on this trip!

But then I got the flu.  On Friday, the day we were supposed to actually drive to the beach, I tested positive for the Type A Influenza and my dear doctor friend banned me from going on the trip.  It broke my heart.

However....Sister to the rescue!  While I stayed at home all alone, my darling sister made sure everyone followed the beach rental rules, cleaned like a madwoman and somehow managed to post over 100 pictures on Facebook so that while I was dying in bed my last images would be of my family, enjoying the trip.  

And so I post some of my favorites here, so that the one brother who didn't get to make it home for Christmas gets to enjoy them too. 

Definitely planning another one!

Wild and Crazy

Wild and crazy are not the words people typically use when describing Christmas.  At least not intentionally.  Observe how people respond when asked how their Christmas was:

"It was great, lots of good time with family." (re: Too many people in my family,  I was ready to pop so-and-so if they didn't shut up and give me some space.)

"We're so lucky this year." (re: I got so much junk in my stocking that I don't even know what to do with it.)

"I was feeling a little under the weather but managed to make it." (re: If I'd had to stay upright for two more minutes, ya'll would be eating week-old Christmas cookies at my funeral.)

So you can only imagine what kind of Christmas it was if I'm saying 'wild and crazy'...that's right, it was Wild and Crazy with fun, food, family, and fabulous gifts--it truly was a wonderful time of year!

And let the photo-bomb commence:

GG & GPA with the great-grands...awww!

  (she's showing her cousin where her nose is...she's NOT picking it!)

Christmas Eve means...naps on GG & GPA's living room floor!

Christmas carols in the basement!

Christmas morning means...tree and stockings at home!  Yes, that bag is three times larger than Alana.

Breakfast at Grandma and Grandpa's!  Eggs, ham, potatoes, cinnamon rolls, fruit, juice--the deliciousness abounds! And I was so disgustingly sick this year that every time I asked someone to pass me something...they did.  It was a true Christmas Miracle!

Head off to other family gatherings...more carols with cousins!

 

Christmas evening is at Grandpop's house...note the trendy sporty tree!

And finally time for the annual Christmas photo...you'd think by now we'd be pros.

Attempt #1:

Attempt #2:

Attempt #3: (they do say it's a charm!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

And P.S. I already asked Santa if next year he can bring EVERYONE home for Christmas.  

He said 'we'll see'.

Best Efforts

Despite my best efforts to delay this day, my lil' baby sister turned 20 today.  Wow.  Just wow.  
And since this just blows me away and I'm more than a little speechless, I'm not going to try and find the words to describe all the coolness about her today so instead will just post some pictures from tonight and she'll just have to know that I think she's amazingly cool.

So there ya go, happy birthday to the cool sister!

 

And then somehow my camera was passed around the table...

Once again...words seem to fail me.