Aloha: A Winter Luau!

We went to a Luau at Linn Benton Community College where we got to experience a little island culture in the middle of a cold, wet Oregon winter...

Swinging the Poi balls. These are sometimes used while hula dancing.

Making a lei with Ella's teacher, Marlene, who is from the Big Island of Hawaii.

Ella and I with our flowers and lei.

Learning to do the hula onstage with the dancers.

Happy Birthday, Girls!!

Once we got home from our awesome trip, we celebrated the girls' birthdays with carrot cake and gifts.

Seattle

After leaving the Great Wolf Lodge we decided to continue the trip up to Seattle, about and hour and half away. The Girls enjoyed the added leg to the trip. Madeline was excited to see the Space Needle and Ella wanted to see the "fish throwers" at the Pike Street Market. We had a great time and packed so much into our day. It was Madeline's birthday the day we were there!

We had to stop and play in every fountain.

The Space Needle! Nobody even got scared on the way up in the glass elevator. We stayed at the top for about an hour.

PEACE!

Kissing Fish and Grumpy Fish

Our Birthday Girl!!! (Ella took this picture!)

At the top.

The fish throwers at the Pike Street Market threw a fish in honor of the "Birthday Girls". It was pretty cool!

On the ferry to Bremerton where we continued home to Oregon.

Bye, Seattle!

Family Trip to Great Wolf Lodge

For the girls' birthdays this year we took a trip up to Washington to the Great Wolf Lodge. It is a hotel and Water Park and the girls had an absolute blast! They had many water slides, a wave pool and numerous raft rides that we could all go on together. The girls swam their hearts out and are already planning their next trip back there. They had a little room within our hotel room that was called the "cub den". They had their own bunk beds and television. They loved it!

Ella with "Wolfy" the mascot.

The girls in the hotel lobby waiting for the bedtime story and play. All the kids wore their jammies!

In their "cub den"

Game on: At the water park!


Ella crossing the Lily Pads.

Madeline takes her turn.

What should we do NEXT?!

Maddie and Mom

The New Skateboard!

Complete with helmet, elbow and knee pads....Yay!!!

Ella had to get out there on her bicycle to some tricks, too.

Yikes!

Christmas Day

Madeline's Doggy Day Camp

Ella's Kitty Cat Camp

Ella with her new snow globe from Santa.

Christmas Eve

Sisters by the tree

Grandma and Grandpa Francis and our finished gingerbread house.



Leaving a note for Santa: Don't eat our Gingerbread House!




Putting out cookies and milk for Santa, and lettuce for the reindeer.

Merry Christmas to All!

And to all a GOODNIGHT!!

Here is a holiday message "misfire" from Ella...
she didn't want to continue without sissy:

Christmas Party at Albany Police Department

The girls got to see Santa a bit early this year when he showed up at the kids' party at Aaron's work. The girls got the gifts they were hoping for! Ella got a stuffed "Momma Longneck" dinosaur and Madeline got a "Backyard Flier" airplane that charges up and flies around on it's own. They also got to decorate some christmas cookies (with LOTS of frosting) and some christmas ornaments. They had a great time! Thanks, Santa!

Christmas Tree Hunting

The weather here has been amazing! We went to Volstaad's tree farm to cut down our tree. We had a nice tractor ride and a walk around the farm to pick out our tree. Madeline and Ella worked together to find the PERFECT tree...a nice Douglas Fir. Then we had some cookies and hot chocolate in the little "chalet" they had set-up. The only thing that was "un-christmasy" about our day was the fact that it was about 60 degrees!

Sunny November Day!

We had a beautiful day in Albany today. We went and played kickball, had some races and played in the leaves. I "went back to my roots" with my hair...I didn't realize how dark it had become!

TRICK OR TREAT!!!

Madeline was a "Water Fairy" and Ella was a Ladybug for Halloween. We went trick-or-treating at the Mall, which was nice and warm and dry. We also hit up the neighbors for some candy. They had alot of fun sorting out their stash and trading candy with each other. That brings back some memories of filling up entire pillowcases with Halloween candy!