CE2 family Thanksgiving

Before we head to Thanksgiving break, we wanted to have a simple holiday lunch with our CE2 family.

We started with pizza, pop and cookies... then we broke out the games. An hour later, they are still playing!!

THIS is why I do it :)

Holiday preview

Another rewind...

Despite the sunny skies and 60-degree temps, the fam pretended for one evening that it was Christmas time.

Attending Al's Garden Center's holiday preview has become a tradition for Mom, Dad, Eryn and me. Even though it's the first week of November, we take in the wintry sights and get excited for the holidays. We also take advantage of the sales and samples :)

Love the train!

Santa!

Family photo:

:)

Cheesecake Swirl Carrot Bundt Cake

Brad and I got away last month for a couple days of relaxation at Ma and Pa's beach house. The weather was outstanding, and we did our long run on the Bayocean spit - in shorts and T-shirts!

When planning the weekend's meals, I remembered this bundt cake recipe I'd recently seen on Sally's Baking Addiction. I asked Brad, and he said we should totally make it and indulge on our R&R weekend!

It turned out perfectly, and he wanted me to post these photos. It's carrot cake with a layer of cheesecake in the middle!

With icing:

If you're looking for a recipe, MAKE THIS Cheesecake Swirl Carrot Bundt Cake! It's truly excellent! :)

Kickboxing hot dogs

Oh, boy. The poop's really hit the fan in the past couple weeks. Posting fun pictures has seriously dropped off my to-do list. So get ready for some rewinds :)

~~~

We had to pull out the hot dog costumes for more sweaty Halloween fun!

Fierce Fitness offered another spooky Halloween-themed kickboxing class, and we could not refuse:

Man, those hot dog hoods are HOT! I wonder how many more wears and washes they have left in them. That Kmart clearance purchase sure has served us well over the years :)

Look at those kickboxers:

Love it :)

Safe, welcome, supported

On hard days, when the world seems unfair and beyond overwhelming, I have to remember my calling - to work with these kiddos, helping to guide them through the end of their high school career. And to make them feel safe, and welcome, and supported.

We just added some new, beautiful faces this week:

:)

Nos. 46 and 47

Nos. 46 and 47 were audio books: David Baldacci's Simple Genius:

And First Family:

 

These were both in Baldacci's King and Maxwell series. Two former Secret Service agents work together as private investigators. They are good mysteries revolving around government and such. I really enjoy listening while doing chores around the house - and while driving around town.

:)

Join the resistance

Maybe you're like me - lost for words to go with your feelings. Or maybe you have lots of wonderfully organized words to go with your thoughts. Maybe you're looking for something to DO to make a difference. Here's a start.

Join the Donald J. Trump Resistance and let your money speak:

"Each of these companies have founders, owners, or CEOs who are prominent supporters of Donald Trump. Here's the thing - that's their choice. They chose to help put him into office, knowing full well what it meant to tens of millions of Americans. However, it is also OUR CHOICE, and a choice that we must make, to withdraw our support from any person or corporation which supports this man and what he stands for."

How you spend your money is YOUR CHOICE. Make those choices count.

Click HERE for more information or to add your name.

:)

I will not be silent

I do not yet have words to respond to the political happenings in our country. Those who really know me know that I am rarely without words. This is a big deal :)

But I can say that I am grieving. Deeply. And while the words have not yet come to adequately express my views, I know that I will not be silent. I will not let this just happen. I will not stand by and watch our future slip away. I plan to fight. Hard.

Brad, Mom, Dad and I went downtown Portland this afternoon to join a grassroots rally, dubbed Families for Peaceful Protest. We were joined by two families from our Newberg Friends community - two families also deeply committed to social justice.

It was supposed to just be a few families, but they just kept coming, and coming, and coming. I'm horrible with crowd estimates, but we filled Pioneer Courthouse Square - so that's a lot! Mothers, fathers, teens, adolescents, toddlers, babies, grandparents, daughters, sons - all joined in solidarity to fight. It was beautiful, and peaceful, and full of love. And we will not stop.

Gathering in the South Park Blocks:

Walking north: 

Pioneer Courthouse Square: 

The Newberg Friends contingent - Woods, McKees, Buerkles and Czarneckis: 

:)