{Catch up}

Maisey has always loved fashion and her favorite store is Forever 21.
Like the patterned fishnets?

Where have we been? Everywhere! And, for the next couple weeks we are booked solid with dance. The competition season is in full swing and Maisey is LOVING it! It is so fun to see kids this joyous.

Above is her hip hop team outfit.

 

A couple weeks ago Maisey officially fell in love with hip hop. She has taken it for years, but she was ecstatic spend a whole weekend doing nothing but that.

Above, Tabitha and Napolean "Nappytabs." They were AMAZING! It was so SO cool watching hundreds of kids (3 levels) dance and learn choreography so quickly.

Ryley LOVED watching too, especially seeing all the boys.

 

The Junior level

 

Maisey's hip hop team minus 1.

*

 

One new and exciting thing this month has  been teaching co-op. One of Ryley's two preschools is an AMAZING co-op teaching the "Smart Cookies" curriculum. It has been so fun to teach from perfectly articulated lessons with this bunch of delightful kids.

Costumes came into play the week we talked about "People Homes."
In the first picture with wood they made houses and a neighborhood.
The lessons even tell you what to have for snack. This week they made pb & j houses and graham cracker smores houses another time. The lessons on homes were my favorite.

 

*

This past weekend Chad and I (thanks Williams) went to Florence to celebrate my parents silver 25th anniversary.
My dad remarried when I was 5 and it was pretty cool remembering back to the wedding and reception. 

The original beautiful wedding cake.

The replica, obviously not as pretty.

My brother Daniel and I. I wished he was there for this.

Some of the part guests. My parents, brother, sister, grandpa, grandma, Chad and I.

*

Chad worked up an appetite packing, or was it unpacking. He is trying to help and really hates when I need him to unpack things we still need! 

A burger from Helvetia tavern did the trick. It had been over 10 years since we visited there and so it was on the list of things to do before we move. 

Ryley has been eager to pack to!

Recycling our shredded docs- great packing material!

I hope the next post won't be so far apart, but I will do my best in between my last term, work,  dance, packing, and everything in the middle like F-U-N!!!

Lastly, to our loyal customers of over 200 Girl Scout cookies, we are NOT selling this year after Maisey resigned and committed to 13 dance classes a week. We appreciate your loyalty and hope a new cheerful scout comes your way!

{Moving towards 'the end'}

We are very excited to begin 2013!
A couple BIG changes will happen, one rather soon...

We have booked a u-haul for March 14th for a move to Utah.

I have accepted an internship in Lindon, UT with Addo Recovery.

Addo Recovery specializes in providing counseling support to those who are traumatized by their spouses pornography addiction.

There I will work under a prestigious therapist and best-selling author in the field, Dr. Kevin Skinner.

I wasn't looking for an internship out of the metro area, but this found me and it is the perfect opportunity for growth.
I look forward to watching the owners vision grow!  

 Addo Recovery and those who understand the devastating effects of pornography want people to remember this

 I am really excited to research this topic further and branch out into an exciting (and demanding) specialization.

I love to write research papers so this is up my alley!
In December (assuming I earn my 700 hours) I should graduate with a MS in Marriage and Family Therapy.
*
"You are not alone" captures the mission of Addo Recovery. The stigma around pornography addiction adds to the pain of the addiction. I have met many,  many people who avoid discussion of pornography at all costs, even when their support is needed by others.
 People need to hear, "You are not alone."

{Oxymoron}

This has been on my mind for several weeks and I finally have time to mention it.

After reading and agreeing for a second to the uproar that Hasbro should create a gender neutral "Easy Bake Oven" I couldn't help but think what an oxymoron this is.

 

Three or so years ago Maisey had the Easy Bake oven (like the one above), neutral I would say compared to the new glittery pink and purple versions.

 

We quickly parted with it after being reminded how disgusting the products really are, but that is not the point here.

 

By complaining the oven is too girly people are enforcing stereotypes, actually putting children into the very gender boxes many more open minded people want to deconstruct. We are teaching our boys (where this debate took off from), that they can't use something that does not build up their masculinity.  

 

Now, I think the pink craze (car seats, t-ball stands, infant bath tubs) in general has really gone wild, but, if people want to buy the car seat for their female daughter and then another if they have a boy, consumers are getting their wishes. And really, why are t-ball sets and neon pink cozy coupes  are wrong second to be developed. This pink wave may be a sign things are changing- or simply that retailers are growing their businesses!

 

I happened to find a blog on the same debate while looking for gender-neutral picture to steal so apparently I am not the only one who sees this side of the coin.

I am glad my husband and I supoort eachother as a team without boxes. He isn't afraid to do housework or use works like pretty and cute!

 

{Remember these?}

I loved mine and Maisey loves hers!

Some things never change... I still use Aqua Net majority of the time!

 

{Fun}

 Maisey's gingerbread house

 Ryley's gingerbread house

****

 The Portland Aquarium

 Going in for the touch!

Maisey's front was soaked from touching all the sea life. The kids LOVE this place. My take, it is WAY too small, and very crowded since it just opened. However, I am glad to see the annual pass pay for itself in the first month.

{Tis the season...}

For...

Baking

 White chocolate cranberry biscotti

 

 Christmas Programs

 Pittock Mansion

Gingerbread house building

 Cookie decorating

 Extra family time (vacation, no weekly activities)

 Extended Family

Snow

 Our room view

 The view from the hot tub- nothing better than 107 degree water with BIG flakes coming down!

 

We hope you enjoyed all of your holiday traditions this season!

{Holiday Festivities}

 

After the busiest Fall of my life, I am glad to report school is over for the semester! Internship is so close I can taste it!

Chad hit a lady the day before Thanksgiving and totaled our commuter car. Although it is a BIG bummer, we are thankful he and Ryley are safe!

******

My brother and sister in-law hosted Thanksgiving- and a wonderful one it was!

******

 

We always decorate the day after Thanksgiving.

******

 This "Thankfulness Chain" could go on forever!

******

We saw Maisey's best friend in the Nutcracker but I failed to get pics.

******

Waiting for Maisey while she danced at the Bethany Tree Lighting.

*****

Chad turned 38! He enjoyed one piece of cake before I started a fire in the oven! Thank goodness for baking soda (and the fire extinguisher near by that I almost used). I divided this giant cake up in Rubbermaid to distribute and put it in the oven to save room... Then, in a hurry to go on his birthday date night and a Christmas party, I turned the oven on and started the fire!

*****

The first competition of the season. Only two of her teams competed, but she has several opportunities coming up where all 3 teams will compete.

******

Date night at the ceramic studio and beauty salon.

*****

*****

Carriage rides

*****

We attended a really neat Christmas program with puppets across a whole stage. Teenagers put it on and it was most impressive.

*****

Every year we do the zoo lights and this seemed like a new addition this season.

*****

More to come. Slowly but surely I will catch up! The main reason I haven't blogged, I am out of space on Picasa and before I pay, I want to delete countless pictures that will never be archived.