back to the future IV.

He kind of reminds me of Marty McFly in his cute little vest.

Just needs a hover board.

And a little Johnny B Goode playing in the background.

Oh, and a pair of these...

and a DeLorean.

And Biff Tannen to be next to him thumping his head saying: 

"Think McFly Think."

And I got carried away.

dame nana.

This woman should be knighted. 
She's a big deal around here.

When she comes over, the kids become barnacles and I don't see them the rest of the night.

(note to self: have Dame Nana over more often).

Perhaps we will make a quick trip to England so we can get this official.

alter ego.

Pam.

She is super helpful.

I mean really, really, really helpful.

She makes beds, holds open doors, files taxes.

Her little hands are often on her hips and her little mouth offers up a lot of advice.

She's a caution this one.

snow day.

A long walk.  A whitewash.  A snowball fight.  Some slidin' and swingin'.  A tiny bit of whining.  A spilled cup of Booty.  And a grand finale shove in the snow. 

 All mixed with a whole lot of smiles.

Funny thing is...we are leaving the snow...to go play in more snow.

Off to the mountains we go...

But what a great little pre-funk.

time flies.

March 2011.

January 2012.

I am going to have to put these two in a box.

Stop.  Growing.

true love.

Eight years ago tonight...

I was wearing a wedding dress, you a tux, we had kissed, and danced, and we were probably feeling pretty darn good.  Bud Lights in the cans were a rollin' (Aunt Pam had already built a pyramid), and the barn was a pumpin'.

My bridesmaids had second degree burns on their necks (except Joc, who was smart enough to change into a plaid shirt and jeans), and your groomsmen still looked like legos.  But who cares, everyone was 3 sheets to the wind.  And dancing to Nelly.

Eight years ago tonight...

I had already serenaded you with my ladies, we had already toasted to some of the best wedding speeches I have heard to date, and our apple pies were cut.

We were thinking about our first night together as the Mr. and the Mrs.  We were starving when we got back to the Salish Lodge.  My mom drove us up there, but not before we stopped and got a half rack of beer.  We stayed up all night and talked and talked and talked and talked.

We were absolutely giddy.

It was one of my most favorite days in 32 years.

Eight years ago tonight...

We had no idea what the pledge of marriage was all about.  We hadn't a clue what we had just committed to or the seriousness it held.

We were so young. 

We were in good shape, well rested, tanned, and dumb.

We were so naive, so selfish, and so immature.

We had no idea what it meant to make a house a home.  We hadn't a CLUE what it meant to be parents.  And compromise and communication were for the birds.

Ignorance was bliss. 

And boy were we blissful.

Eight years ago tonight...

We had no idea what sharing a life together meant.  The ups and downs, the strength it takes, and the humor you need.  We had no idea where life would takes us.  We had no idea what the future had in store for us.  We weren't sure about a thing. 

Except one...

each other.

Eight years ago tonight...

I must say, we were genius.

xoxo

the ranch.

For you locals, I don't need to tell you about the Ranch Drive-In.

For those that have no idea what I am talking about...it's food heaven.

It's my favorite 'fast food' here on earth.  Their burgers are out of this world, their fries should be bronzed, and don't even get me started on their rootbeer shakes.

When I was a kid, Jamie Swenson and I would walk down to the Ranch weekly, with all the random change we could find, and order one large fry and two hot cocoas.   We would sit and talk for hours and hours in a little corner booth.  Oh, how I would love to know what two 12 year olds had to talk about for that long.

Anyhoo, I don't indulge myself often (okay, I do indulge, but it's usually in the liquid form)...but I decided that on New Years Day a family Ranch date is the new tradition (and me loves me a tradition).

No better way to start the New Year than with with a little trans fat, a whole lot of calories, and the taste of perfection.

pizza, beer, tubbies, cards, and a new year.

We rung in the new year in the HUGE town of Roslyn. 

 Population:  Us.

Actually not really, the pizza place was packed.

Maybe they were just all there to see the baby sitting on a bumbo on the back counter, where they were making the pizza's, and taking the pizza's out of the huge hot oven and placing them next to said baby. 

Maybe the health department should have been there too?

It was grand. 

The pizza.  The company.  And the rest of the night.

It took a really long time to get our pizza's...and someone started to notice.

Then off to Ry's best friend BJ's rented cabin (mansion) with his entire family right down the road...

where the kids played, took baths, ran around naked, and went to bed....

And the adults drank, and ate, played cards, went hot tubbing, ran around naked, kissed at New Years, and went to bed.

He even slept like this while Carson was screaming his bloody head off and vomiting his little guts out from 3am-4:30am.

(mind you, we went to bed about 1:30am).

The start of 2012 wasn't looking promising for either of them...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I've got some big plans for you 2012.

thank you christmas.

What a morning it was.

One woke up shaking with excitement.  One woke up with a 104 degree temperature.  One woke up with a slight hangover.  And one woke up a tad cranky (because the one who woke up with a temperature wasn't waking up for the first time that night).

But we all rallied.

And Santa came through.

Hadley's favorite line:

"Mom, how did HE ever even know I wanted this?"

As her jaw dropped and she smiled ear to ear.

...she said this after opening every single present.

Even ones that were not from Santa.

That man turns water into wine in her eyes.

She's not that smart in our eyes.

Duh.

You gave him a list.

What can I say...she's found her Prince Charming.

(for the record, Christmas with a 4 year old is maybe the best Christmas present ever...truly).

The playas.

Breakfast & Mimosa's at our house with the A-team.

Okay, so I was the only one drinking mimosa's...next thing I knew the champagne was gone...and I was hugging and kissing everyone.  I was merry, that's for sure.  But so was my Pops.  Can you say 'whiskey eggnogs'?  We like to celebrate, it's in our blood.

Then up to the mountains for Christmas #2.

Two Christmas'?

Yes.  Please.

One girl rocked the mountains.

One girl...ummm...did not.

But she was pleased as punch.

My mom, the closet lush.

And her four besties.

 

How many more days do we have to wait to do this again?