::diary:: our day with Brooklyn & Boston

my nieces, Brooklyn & Boston,
in their christmas dresses

during the four days we were in Bend, my sister Melissa and her hubby had some Christmas shopping to finish up, so I strapped on some bravery and asked if Rhett and I could babysit.  Honest to god, I can't remember the last time I've babysat little ones!  Living 3 hours away from each other, the opportunity just never comes up, and I was soo happy to be able to have the girls for an afternoon.  We started in the hotel pool, figuring that was a good place to burn some energy...

Rhett was a sport.  He didn't really want to swim, 

but I pleaded, and he swam.  For most of it. ;) 

we lasted an hour in the pool, then headed to the room for a quick bath.  The girls were staaaarving, "SOOO BAD" {Brooklyn didn't think there was any possible way she could make it to Red Robin without stopping in the snack shop of the hotel, first}.  It had been snowing like crazy, all morning, so Rhett picked up Brooklyn, and I carried Boston, and we tromped through the snow down to lunch.. 

Brooklyn ordered milkshakes for both of them as soon as we sat down.
later, my sister said she never orders them milkshakes.  LOL
I'm happy Brooklyn treated herself ;) 

After lunch, Auntie insisted on a little photo shoot with the beauties.. 

and we stumbled upon a snowman.

Back in the hotel, Uncle Rhett declared that the girls "could watch whatever they wanted, if we could rest".  The girls were fine with resting, but they had NO interest in the television.  They just wanted our phones. TV's are so pre-2010, obviously.  Now we know.  It's a lot of work, keeping up with these children of the Two Thousands.  They're too savvy for their own good.  ;)  And little Boston?  She uninstalled and installed apps like a pro!  

what a precious day

{December 23, 2012}

last weekend, in Bend

messing with my mom, is just fun sometimes ;) 

..and so, with thawed turkey, we went to Bend for Thanksgiving! 

first stop was my sister Mel's... 

i spent the day, behind the camera,
so i just had to post this pic, to prove that i pattern mixed!!  Big time. 

mother had to have a picture with her turkey.  

while Boston donned her helmet, for black friday preparations

poor baby Drew is teething and his poor little teeth and ears were bugging him.
it wasn't a very happy thanksgiving for Drew

my wonderful sister Melissa hosted us,
just three days after moving into her new home.
You're the bomb sissy!!

so.  I know that your nieces and nephews are the cutest, and everything,
but aren't my nieces and nephews just the cutest?! I just love looking at all these cousins.

photo op, gone silly

my brother Shane & sis-in-law Jani with their boys,
and me, T, and Rhett

I missed capturing so many people and family shots this year.

Shame on me!  Silver lining is Christmas is right around the corner,

and I won't forget to get more group shots, next time. 

After a long wonderful day at Mel's, Rhett and I headed to the most charming little Bungalow ever on Bend's Westside that Rhett found for us.  We pulled out the hide-away bed and drug it right in front of that fire, several times over the weekend.... 

Drake Park, Bend Oregon
this photo was taken along our walk from the Bungalow to breakfast
at the famed Westside Bakery

we picked up Babber's {my sissy Aubrey},
and made a stop at the Funny Farm
{don't EVER do it, if you're ever in Bend}

I met Andrea for coffee  {!!!!}

spent an afternoon shopping with my momma..
{this photo is obviously out of sequence, because it was during this shopping trip
that I purchased the (L♥VE) BEND OREGON green hoodie that I proceeded to wear for the rest of the entire trip}

and saw my sissy at her store in Redmond

where we stumbled upon a christmas parade!!

what more could we have asked for.  

There were more highlights to the weekend, more friends I saw, more places we went ~ but I can't find the photos, or maybe didn't even take the photos.  Rhett and I went and saw Lincoln, and yesss, you should too!  It was an amazing movie.  No bells and whistles, just an awesome reenactment of an incredible moment of time in US history.  It was when we went to the movie, that I left my phone at the Bungalow.  Though I still managed to capture a lot of the weekend in pictures {um, yes.  I still managed to blow up my IG like I do}, I also made "intentional" decisions to leave my phone behind, cause, to be honest, I'm a little sick and tired of being plugged in.  I didn't open my laptop, not even one time, for the four straight days we were in Bend.  And it was marvelous   But now I've digressed.  This is about the weekend. The fabulous weekend of Thanksgiving 2012.  In the books. 

-m-

what the what is THIS?!

Tristen returns from holiday with his dad,
with This.

I went to grab my face wash this morning, and my hand picked up a big fat tube of something that was NOT my face wash.  I looked down and found in my hand, a bottle of Neutrogena ~ for Men.   For Men, concerned with Acne.  Since when are Eleven year old boys, MEN??! And since when has Tristen become concerned with Acne? This whole tween thing throws this mama for a loop every other day.  

I'm now in a dumbfounded loss of words this fine Monday morning, so I will leave you with photos of our drive from Portland, over the Grand Mt. Hood, to my "Hometown", Bend Oregon, this past Thanksgiving weekend..

Those gorgeous, endless, bright blue skies... Whether it snows, pours, is 12 degrees, or 88 degrees, that blue vibrant sky peeks through almost every day it seems ~ for as far as your eye can see, until your eye runs smack into Mountain Range upon Mountain Range. I might be biased, but ooooh, it's just beautiful. 

cupcakes, boots, and water fountains

we spent an afternoon in Redmond Oregon, 

a small suburb town about 15 minutes from Bend.

Growing up, Redmond was the blue headed step child of Bend, 

the "hick" town that no one had a use for or wanted to claim any affiliation with.

but it has received a massive face lift over the past few years, 

and now features cobbled roadways,

darling little {inexpensive!} vintage shops,

a public water fountain plaza,

and the most DELICIOUS cupcakes 

I ever have had.

this shop The Back Porch & Company

is an independently owned vintage collection.

I was in AWE the moment I stepped inside.

Literally from floor to ceiling,

it dripped in gorgeousness.

I was so inspired!

and I found my famed $15 boots!

{Down the Rabbit Hole.  How cute a name is That?!}

then.  

we stopped for a cupcake.

the frosting had to be straight flavored lard.

holygoodness.

after cupcakes,

we strolled down to City Hall.

right across the street is a water fountain plaza

featuring even a cafe..

the perfect place to be lazy and get wet in the gorgeous 

Central Oregon weather.

man.

it was the best afternoon.

-m-