Family time is good... MYTH PROOVED!

Saturday morning Jack woke up, got his usual cup of coffee and sat down to the computer to see what was new in the world (since we had power and cable, which some people around here still don't have and it's MONDAY... but that is a whole different story). While zipping through facebook (MY facebook) he noticed a post from a friend with a picture of MYTHBUSTERS BEHIND THE MYTHS TOUR. Being the genius that he is, he looked the tour up and found out that low and behold, they were playing in Portland THAT VERY DAY!

Now, mind you, I was asleep while all this happened. I love to sleep in. Always have. Always will.

He came into our room, quietly telling me his internet find and also notifying me there are still tickets available for the 4PM show ... "Do you want to go?" he said with a grin. Well of course I want to go!!! Who doesn't want to see Jayme and Adam blow stuff up on stage?

We all got up, got fed, purchased the needed tickets and off we went. First a stop to everybody's favorite house of beverage...

This is what a tall drip with room, grande vanilla latte, chocolate chip mint frapuccino, steamed vanilla milk and a grande mocha look like

Just so you know, if you're ever relying on me for directions around Portland, get a different navigator. I'm horrible finding my way around that city. As much as I love being in Portland, I can never find anything there, including the way into the city. Once we actually did find Keller Auditorium, this is what it looked like inside:

SOOOO AWESOME!!!

Jayme and Adam

Audience participation demonstrating f=m(a) with a sledgehammer

Adam laying on a bed of nails while Jayme breaks a cinderblock with a sledgehammer on his stomach.

Photo Op where we were told to take pictures... I dunno. I just followed directions.

Final bows

If you ever get the chance to see this show, I think our whole family would recommend it. It was entertaining from beginning to end and was just what we needed as far as breaking out of all the snow and ice around here.

Dinner on the way home

  

SNOW-A-PALOOZA!!!

It's only once every few years that we get a good snow around here, and this turns out to be one of them. We currently have about 4", but the forecast is calling for up to 12" by Wednesday.

In the meanwhile, we wait by the phone for a call from Jack's admin office to hear if tomorrow is canceled or two hours late. There's no doubt what we are hoping for with this much fun sitting in our yard.

Maddie. Amanda. Cute hats. Best friends.

The bummer is, I'm sick. Head cold. So, I'll just stay inside and get water ready for hot cocoa. Maybe I'll sip on a hot buttered rum... it's medicinal, you know. Sure to cure something.

 Thomas invited the neighborhood boys over for a friendly round of "smash your friend into the snow" followed by a no mercy snowball fight.

Jack

Thomas

Ben

Duncan

Thomas and Justin

Such goofs...

 Muscle pose... Thomas, Emily, Jake, Amanda and Annie the Wonder Dog


SNOW BLOG UPDATE... 
One more picture which must be blogged.

My Emily. She, who wants to be an architect, took the pick-ax and dug a hole in the above gigantic snowball, creating a snow cave.

Behold. It is truly a marvel for the eyes...........

She cracks me up! I think she would have slept out there if I hadn't suggested to come in for cocoa.

The guy can sing!

So proud of my husband singing at church today! I should have hit the video button on my camera and recorded it. Maybe next time I'll be smarter. The Three Tenors have nothing on these guys!

Mike, Jack and Steve

Driver's Ed... round two

FIRST DRIVE!!!

Yesterday was like déjà vu as I took Emily to the DOL to get her Learner's Driver Permit. Was it really two years ago that I did that trip with Amanda? Our wait wasn't bad and the lady at the window was quite good humored. We answered a few questions, Emily looked into the little vision test thingie, we paid $20 and out the door we went with the crisp, new Learner's Permit in hand!

Today was the day of The First Drive! I backed the van out of the garage and driveway and Emily took it from there for a tour of our neighborhood. I would guess we went a total of 2 miles, winding around the neighborhoods adjacent to our street. Emily practiced stopping, starting, backing up and turning a corner (yes, slow down going into the corner and accelerate coming out of the turn).

After passing by this car, Emily said, "Well at least we didn't DIE!"

Come October 10, Emily will be good and ready for her license!

es muy tarde... our vacation to Mexico!

It's long overdue, but here is a quick post on our recent trip to Mexico. We were in Nuevo Vallarta, just north of Puerto Vallarta. I booked through Costco travel and got a screaming deal. I highly recommend Costco travel to anybody looking for a well priced vacation.

Our resort was called Villa la Estancia. Lovely. Abslutely lovely.

The first night was actually spent in SeaTac at the Doubletree. Another screaming deal. Thank you priceline.com!

Landed in PV... walking to customs

This was what we saw upon entering our resort lobby. You went straight through the lobby to big glass doors and looked out onto this scene over the pool. Soooo beautiful!

This is taken from our balcony

Jack and Amanda. Aren't they looking relaxed?

Thomas and Emily

I went to the Mega store to buy a few things. In the bakery you shop by taking the big metal platter around to bins of yummies and load it up with tongs. When you're done, you pass your tray to this lady and she loads your things into a bag and writes the total price on the outside.

In the Mega there was a section of Costco food. $10 for this bag of tortilla chips. What a rip off!

Sitting at the pool and back to the beach, this is the view of the hotel.

Looking north to Bucerias. The beach was mostly empty the whole time we were there.

Warm water and smooth sand

It didn't take Emily long to learn to love a hammock

Super Emily

Mighty Amanda

Lots of boogie boarding!!!

My 3 amigos

Sunset while walking to Bucarias

Dinner on the beach. My shrimp diablo dinner. Spicy hot and yummy!

My mom's enchilada dinner. Ash trays on the tables!

My Dad and Amanda. I think she has him wrapped around her finger... still!

Swim up bar at our resort. Eating chips, salsa and guacamole. Rinsing it down with a variety of choices!

Thomas was buying bracelets from this sweet girl on the beach. 10 bracelets for 100 pesos.

Resort pool with lounges in the 4" deep section of the pool. It doesn't get any cooler than that!

Papa and Thomas flying a batman kite.

Dinner on our deck, fresh guacamole and pico de gallo and chips. It gets no better than that!

After the dinner. Some sunset behind us there!

Dinner out... as though they have never been in public.

A man selling fresh coconuts on the beach. He cut the coconut meat up and put it in a baggie, mixed with some sort of sweet syrup and a squeeze of lime.

The view from my lounge chair

Emily has popcorn in a martini glass.

Shopping in Bucerias.

3 for lunch, with Hugo the trusty bar tender making sure the kids got the right drinks (no alcohol, thanks Hugo).

If I had been organized enough to send out Christmas cards this year, I think it would have had this picture on it.

My view from my other lounge chair.

Classics.

Banana Boat ride. Ask Amanda if she likes to go fast.

Armando sold us the Banana Boat ride. Very nice man, with some pretty interesting stories.

The boogie boards were SO much fun!

Hugo, our bar tender

This is what happens when Hugo takes the camera off the bar and starts taking pictures in his bartending area.

My fish tacos. I have to learn how to make these.

There is nobody else like my Dad!

How can you not love these two?

The living area in our room.

Look closely. Find what's wrong.

In case you couldn't see it in the above picture. Thomas found this ON THE GROUND in the PV airport, peeled the back paper off and stuck it on his lip. He kept us entertained for a good long while walking around with his mustache on!

I can't decide if he looks like Jose Cuervo or Mario.

Sunset out the airplane window, somewhere over California.