On Facebook McKenna's status talks about getting a Christmas tree. It has brought back all sorts of memories about the time we got stuck in the snow getting a Christmas tree. The story actually began when Devin, Kelli, and Kenna came over to our house. Mandy said the "a" word! Then we started toward the mountain to get a tree. There was something dead and torn apart sticking out of a frozen lake. Everyone made Meric stop for a second so that they could get pictures of it. Further up the mountain we reached a parking lot. I told Meric to stop, but he wanted to go down this road. The snow was so high that when Meric went to the shoulder to avoid some people the blazer was sucked into a drift. The snow was up the the driver's side window and snow was the only thing keeping the blazer from rolling down the mountain side. After a couple minutes of trying to get out, we realized we were REALLY stuck. A truck had followed us down the road and they immediately started to get out chains and ropes to help get us out. Of course we stayed stuck. More people from the parking lot came down to help. Four hours and another truck getting stuck, the blazer almost going down the mountain side with Meric in it we were finally out of the snow drift. Of course we still needed to cut down two Christmas trees. But we had fun! Jasper and Lucy bounced around through the deep snow, we sat on our butts and slid down the mountain side (who needs a sled?) and we were reminded of what the season is all about. Without even asking for help, several strangers worked with us for those four hours to get us out of the snow. They did it for no other reason than we needed help. When all was said and done, I will never forget going to get that Christmas tree and it is one of my favorite Christmas memories.
So now it is your turn. Share one of your favorite Christmas memories or add to mine (or someone elses) what you remember.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Whats new?
Let me go back to Thanksgiving first. Meric and I had a couple of his coworkers over for Thanksgiving. And yes they were girls, you know Meric. :) It was nice, but weird not having very many people. Also I somehow managed to ruin the mash potatoes. Don't ask me how, all I can think is that not every kind of potato is good for mashing. Also it always suprises me how many people in the military we hang out with who don't drink. We got some Martinelli's (sp?) and had our wine glasses out for dinner. One of the ladies turned her glass over until we said it was only juice cuz we don't drink. When Meric was going through school, we never had his classmates over to the house because they couldn't have fun without drinking. Knowing the reputation of the armed forces we figured most of our non-member friends would be the same way, but so far most of them aren't big drinkers.
After Thanksgiving, we did NOT go black Friday shopping. There was no way I was getting up early and fighting the crowds. It is amazing how busy our shopping areas get for such a small town. Meric and I pretty much just hung out at home and ate ourselves silly. (No diet over the holiday)
The last few weekends we have gone out geocaching. We are up to six now and are getting better at it. We have even found a few that you exchange little goodies. To explain a bit better, there are some that are small and only can fit a log for people who find it to sign. Then there are others that are bigger so that you can put stuff in it. The rule is that you take something and leave something. Some of the objects are called travel bugs. Those you log on the website and give them goals. For example Meric and I are thinking of starting a travel bug here with the goal of it reaching Spokane. So people who find it are suppose to move it from one geocache to another until it reaches its destination. I know it all sounds so geeky, but it is actually kinda fun when you find them.
On Friday Meric and I went to our first military ball. It was fun to get all dressed up and go out. Of course once we got there the fun ended. It was so boring. There was a schedule, but we were almost an hour behind. By the time we got our food we were all starving. On the tables there was a bottle of wine (for all the toasts, 8 toasts to be exact) but no one at our table drank so the bottle went untouched. There was also tea for everyone to drink. And at a table that seats 8 there were only 4 water glasses. Everyone else was drinking the tea so Meric and I hogged all the water. The waiters would go around and fill up the tea glasses, but no water. Then they had a guest speaker, some retired general. Talk about boring. The begining of his speech was all about the war and how it is going to continue. Who wants to hear about that at a Christmas party? The end of his speech was a little better. He told a few jokes including the one Dad just used on the Hillyard Herald. (Sorry Dad but that one is super old) After that they had an award ceremony. By the time they got to the dancing everyone was tired and totally bored. I don't think the award ceremony is normal at the Christmas ball and really was, I think, an inappropriate time to do it. So not a great time at our first ball.
On Saturday Meric and I got a letter in the mail from DSS. We were accepted into the class on foster parenting and it will start January 7th. I am really glad I decided not to go home after Christmas. We were told the classes would start sometime the end of January, not the first week. I would have missed classes if I had gone home. Anyway, we are excited to start. The sooner we start the sooner we are done and on to the next part.
That is it for now!
After Thanksgiving, we did NOT go black Friday shopping. There was no way I was getting up early and fighting the crowds. It is amazing how busy our shopping areas get for such a small town. Meric and I pretty much just hung out at home and ate ourselves silly. (No diet over the holiday)
The last few weekends we have gone out geocaching. We are up to six now and are getting better at it. We have even found a few that you exchange little goodies. To explain a bit better, there are some that are small and only can fit a log for people who find it to sign. Then there are others that are bigger so that you can put stuff in it. The rule is that you take something and leave something. Some of the objects are called travel bugs. Those you log on the website and give them goals. For example Meric and I are thinking of starting a travel bug here with the goal of it reaching Spokane. So people who find it are suppose to move it from one geocache to another until it reaches its destination. I know it all sounds so geeky, but it is actually kinda fun when you find them.
On Friday Meric and I went to our first military ball. It was fun to get all dressed up and go out. Of course once we got there the fun ended. It was so boring. There was a schedule, but we were almost an hour behind. By the time we got our food we were all starving. On the tables there was a bottle of wine (for all the toasts, 8 toasts to be exact) but no one at our table drank so the bottle went untouched. There was also tea for everyone to drink. And at a table that seats 8 there were only 4 water glasses. Everyone else was drinking the tea so Meric and I hogged all the water. The waiters would go around and fill up the tea glasses, but no water. Then they had a guest speaker, some retired general. Talk about boring. The begining of his speech was all about the war and how it is going to continue. Who wants to hear about that at a Christmas party? The end of his speech was a little better. He told a few jokes including the one Dad just used on the Hillyard Herald. (Sorry Dad but that one is super old) After that they had an award ceremony. By the time they got to the dancing everyone was tired and totally bored. I don't think the award ceremony is normal at the Christmas ball and really was, I think, an inappropriate time to do it. So not a great time at our first ball.
On Saturday Meric and I got a letter in the mail from DSS. We were accepted into the class on foster parenting and it will start January 7th. I am really glad I decided not to go home after Christmas. We were told the classes would start sometime the end of January, not the first week. I would have missed classes if I had gone home. Anyway, we are excited to start. The sooner we start the sooner we are done and on to the next part.
That is it for now!
Friday, December 4, 2009
The Civil War
If you want to see a city divide faster than anything, be sure to be in Portland during the Civil War. The Civil War is when the University of Oregon Ducks play the Oregon State Beavers. This year was even more extreme than usual. They played each other for the last game of the regular season. They both had the same record. Whoever won, was going to the Rose Bowl.
Both sides were pumped and convinced they were going to win. The day of the game, there was a huge rally downtown at 6:30 am. Pioneer Square was packed. All you could see was black and orange on one side and green and yellow on the other. I was shocked that there were that many people that early in the morning, in the cold, yelling.
During the day, leading up to the game, there were shouting matches on the street, fights in both Corvallis and Eugene, and more sports paraphernalia than I'd seen in a long time.
Game time hits and the city streets were bare as every bar in town was packed. The game was intense. Back and forth, very close the entire way.
The Ducks, in the end, prevailed. What does this mean you say? Well, consider this.....Phil Knight pays for almost everything at U of O. The Ducks have a choice of 316 possible uniforms outfits to wear. They can buy whatever they want whenever they want. The first game of the year, one player punched out a Boise State player after a lose. He was expelled, but a few weeks later they quietly let him come back. He played in the Civil War, scoring a touchdown.
The Beavers are a small auggie school finding for funding. They have little money for recruiting and are working based o the talents of what they can afford.
It's basically like the Yankees winning the World Series.
Nothing makes you hate the Ducks more, than watching a game played at their stadium. LET'S GO OHIO!!!!!!!!
Both sides were pumped and convinced they were going to win. The day of the game, there was a huge rally downtown at 6:30 am. Pioneer Square was packed. All you could see was black and orange on one side and green and yellow on the other. I was shocked that there were that many people that early in the morning, in the cold, yelling.
During the day, leading up to the game, there were shouting matches on the street, fights in both Corvallis and Eugene, and more sports paraphernalia than I'd seen in a long time.
Game time hits and the city streets were bare as every bar in town was packed. The game was intense. Back and forth, very close the entire way.
The Ducks, in the end, prevailed. What does this mean you say? Well, consider this.....Phil Knight pays for almost everything at U of O. The Ducks have a choice of 316 possible uniforms outfits to wear. They can buy whatever they want whenever they want. The first game of the year, one player punched out a Boise State player after a lose. He was expelled, but a few weeks later they quietly let him come back. He played in the Civil War, scoring a touchdown.
The Beavers are a small auggie school finding for funding. They have little money for recruiting and are working based o the talents of what they can afford.
It's basically like the Yankees winning the World Series.
Nothing makes you hate the Ducks more, than watching a game played at their stadium. LET'S GO OHIO!!!!!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
