A Playlist for my Seeestor!

I am always amazed when I hear a great new song and I turn to Paige and say, do you know this song? Her response every time is: "Is it from the 70's? If it isn't I won't know it. I only listen to music from the 70's."
Well dear seeestor of mine...here is a playlist I made especially for you. There are a few others on there NOT from the 70's that I know she loves...but they aren't too far off the beaten path!

Snowcat Snowboarding and Prayers

MLK was a great weekend! I coached my niece in a tournament in Eugene and was able to snowboard for two days at Timberline! My good friend Steve took me and my friend Dorianna up to the mountain early Sunday morning. I haven't boarded since my one time in city park so I was a bit nervous about it. But, it turned out to be a lot of fun! I only fell a few times but I had one bad fall that made me think...hmmm, butt pads will be my my next investment! Dorianna didn't have as much success as I did. She ended up falling HARD on her tailbone and was done for the weekend. Poor Dorianna! I will spare you her picture in the ski patrol since it's her 2nd in two years! That's a whole other story.

While Dorianna was resting at the cabin on Monday, Steve and I made a trek up on the snow cat all the way to the top of Palmer (the actual lift wasn't going because it was too windy). I snapped this picture from the top of the mountain. To the left is where the groomed trail started. It was a bit scary at first (there were large chunks of blue ice everywhere!) but once I got started it was a really fun ride! This is how close we were to the summit of Mt. Hood. The only way to snowboard up there is to take a helicopter. Not really on my agenda (the snow cat was nerve racking enough!) but it would be fun to watch someone do that! The day was gorgeous and surprisingly warm. There was some inverse weather happening that day and it was 50 degrees on the mountain. The snow had a sugary texture to it.

Another view of the top from inside the snow cat. Very bumpy ride!

My friend, Steve, and I inside the snow cat. It was nice to be inside the cab. We had to wait about 45 minutes to take the ride so we were a little chilly so the nice warm cab was great.

It was a fun weekend but I definetly paid the price because by that afternoon I could tell I was getting sick. Sure enough Tuesday morning I was down for the count, one prescription and two sub days later I am feeling much better. It was all worth it though!

On another note a good friend of mine, Devon Johnson has a prayer request. Please read her latest blog entry and keep her friend Mandie in your prayers.

TAG...I'm it...dang it.

Here I am, doing something I only do on a rare occasion...respond to a forward. It's time for me to tell 10 things you may not have known about me...

1. I have a collection of Christmas village pieces that I started collecting when I was about 11 or 12. The first piece was a church and a group of carolers. Now I have over 100 pieces and it takes me over 2 hours to put it up and take it down. This year I decorated for Christmas over Veteran's Day weekend so I could have it up for a while. :-)

2. I have matching scars on my hands from two separate occasions. And I have no idea how I got either of them.

3. I used to hunt and catch the wild cats in the barn on our farm when I was little (could be where the bizarre scars came from). I am really good. Even as an adult I still have my hunting instincts. I was able to catch Tramaine's cat, Blitz with ease...with a little help of course :)

4. I have the largest tongue in my family. It is a fun freak show trick that my family makes me do.

5. I love wearing granny panties. I hate thongs, they just don't fit right. Sorry to ruin any fantasy for any male reading this.

6. I used to despise capri's. I used to think that they were my nemesis. Now I love them and have more capri's in my closet than long pants. Darn 36" inseam.

7. I brush my teeth and pee in the shower...sometimes at the same time.

8. I cross my feet while I sleep. I think it must be something I did in the womb because I have always done it.

9. I have no idea how I get most of my bruises because I bruise so easily. And my bruises always last longer than they should.

10. I swallow my gum...every time.

There they are...10 ten random facts about yours truly.

Jack is Back!

I have waited many months for this moment...the Season Opener of 24!!!!! Jack is back! Oh yes! It has finally arrived! 2 hours last night and 2 hours tonight! Hooray!

It reminds me of how CJ and Cole sing Back in Black by ACDC...to them its "Jack is Back." Cracks me up every time they sing it! The other one they have changed the lyrics on is "Drift Away." They sing it as "Give me the Beach Boys and free my soul." I giggle to myself everytime I hear those songs. Enjoy them on my blog...and think of two little boys in the back seat of a car singing their hearts out to these two classics.

2009 already?

Once again I jump on the blogging bandwagon on the 2008 reflection...mine requires a little bit of help...aka my wall calendar. Anything significant (that is also planned ahead) is written on my calendar. I have been known to forget things because they aren't written on this calendar...just ask Tramaine. Every year for Christmas my sister gives me a calendar and I am so thankful this year that it wasn't Picasso (I had him for 2007 and 2008). Instead, I received one of my most favorite cartoons...Peanuts with Love. As for the reflection...
Lots of firsts for me this year and a few seconds as well!

• I learned to snowboard! I LOVE IT! My friend Steve is a very patient teacher...that always helps!
• I coached my niece's club volleyball team. I have to admit that I had tears in my eyes of pure joy when I watched her attempt to serve during a match for the first time.
  
• I recruited for our Linfield volleyball program and one of the girls I recruited came! I know that sounds hokey but I didn't realize how much more invested in our program I became until I started that process. It is such a HUGE learning curve for me...this year I've been much better about it!
• I moved out of my mom's house and into an apartment downtown...that has been an adjustment! Not the moving out (I've done that many times!) but living downtown! Who knew you could loathe Thursday market! It's such a pain to find parking when the market is happening outside your window. It was pretty cool during Turkey Trauma to have a mechanical bull in my front yard though!
• I went and saw The Boss...front row! My amazing friend Kendra had invited me to go see him but at the last minute couldn't go so she GAVE me her ticket and I took my brother-in-law. It was such an amazing gift that I have never forgotten and one day I will be able to repay her!
• I taught private volleyball and tennis lessons during the summer for extra money. I had a BLAST doing that and I hopefully inspired a few girls to come out this Spring for tennis!
  
• I also golfed A LOT (thanks Tramaine for having a membership to Michelbook!) and I shot my lowest score of a 47 on 9...it happened to be on a day when Tramaine shot a 49 so I did technically beat him that day...the only day that summer...and I just so happen to have the score card on my refridgerator...still :0).
  
• My good friend Erica and I had a few firsts together this summer as well...I won a tennis tournament together in blistering 100 degree weather and we participated in the Luna Triathlon where I finished 10th overall.
  
• I started my 5th year of teaching at Patton, my 2nd year of coaching JV girls tennis at the high school (5th overall in the program), and my 3rd year at Linfield.
  
• At the end of the summer I was blessed with the best part about the entire year and that was to welcome my new baby nephew into the world. He is so sweet and beautiful that I am sometimes amazed. He can make your worst day seem 100 miles away when you hold him. He is truely the best part about this year for me especially since I got to witness his birth. My sister had strength that morning I never knew she had and I hope when I have children someday that I make it look that easy.
  

This year flew by and in some ways I am thankful but in others I wish I could make time stand still. I LOVED all the snow we had and made sure to take it all in the best I could...snowboarding in city park with my niece and nephews was a highlight *Paige posted pictures if you haven't seen them already. I look forward to 2009 as a year of new horizons and possibilities and I hope that I top all the fun things I accomplished this year in this next one. But, most of all I hope to continue to surround myself in the loving relationships that I have been blessed with in this life and not take any of them for granted. Thank you 2008, you were a lot of fun! 2009- buckle up, cuz this could be a wild one!