A Visit From Nana Sue While Someone Turns 4!

My mom flew out for a week long visit and got to be here during Parker's 4th birthday!  It's the first time Parker actually got to celebrate a birthday with a grandparent.  She was pretty excited to introduce Nana Sue to all her friends (though I don't think that actually happened once everyone arrived?!).

This year we had a Rainbow Art Birthday theme.  I picked up some smocks for the kids to wear, a bunch of little canvas's to paint on and the highlight of the day- a spin art machine.  We ate, drank, played and painted the afternoon away!  The weather was perfect.  Couldn't of asked for a better day!  

Nana Sue has arrived!

Cameron, Parker and Starra

The canvas painting table

I drew different things on each canvas...Parker chose a pony to paint

But the favorite thing to do was the spin art!

Seriously- a HUGE hit!

The spread

Ace enjoying his "cupcake" (they are sugarless banana bread muffins- kids love them!)

Everyone is gone...time to clean up and play with her new Elsa doll

 Between the party and Parker's actual birthday two days later, we hit up a ton of estate and garage sales...Home Depot, hardware stores, Target, etc etc.  My mom did a TON of home improvement projects around our house, per usual.  It's awesome!  On Parker's birthday she had gymnastics class, so Grandma got to see her in action.  She has graduated to the Twisters class which is a 90 minute "invite only" group.  She loves it.

 After class we went out for a birthday dinner then home for cake and presents!

She changed into her new gymnastics leo from Grandma Sue

And is STOKED to start soccer lessons this summer from Auntie JJ!

 All in all it was a great visit from Grandma and a successful 4 year old birthday!  Mom squeezed in one last sewing project before her flight and Parker wanted to sew then too.  So that's how the story ends.  Until next time!

 

PPP 2014

Time to roll over the mountain pass and head over to Bend and Sunriver for the annual PPP relay race!  Such a highlight in the year.  So much fun with a great group of people...our group is growing slowly but surely with new babies on the way.  We'll probably have to get two houses next year!  

This year we spent Thursday night in Bend.  I love that town...our friends Niall and Ali had rented a house downtown on the river.  It was awesome to be able to walk all around to downtown and the Old Mill District.  

Asher, Casey and Quinn enjoying 10 Barrel Brewery

Then it was comp day!  It was beautiful on the mountain...

Aaron crushed the nordic leg!

Annie sprinting to the finish line!

Finishers!  No mugs this year, Team Ole & Lena placed 5th, which is still amazing! 

 Then it was time to get back to the house in Sunriver to relax, eat and hang out with friends...

Bryan, Arlo, Aaron, Darby, Kristena and Roxana

Three peas in a pod.  They had a blast together.

Presenting Kaylon with his birthday cake!

Asher LOVED this tub in our bedroom.  So did I!

The car ride back to Eugene was pretty quiet!  That's when you know a good time was had.  Until next year!

Easter

With each passing year the holidays are becoming more and more fun as Parker starts to really get into them.  I can't wait until Asher is too!  But even he got into the annual egg hunt we have at our neighbors house.  

Preparing for the egg hunt!

Rich giving instructions on where he "thinks" the Easter bunny hid eggs

Even Asher found some!

This was the best I could get for a group photo.  Parker, Asher and Jackson

Opening eggs!  Chocolate, balloons, money...

After the hunt Rich always blows tons of balloons for the kids to run and pop

After the hunt, Parker and I ran to this great little kids clothing and toy store where she got her face painted as a bunny!

Note the purple bow...the store clerk put it in her hair to keep it back while painting...forgot it was even there until we got home and Parker mentioned it was still there.  Opps!

 That night we went over to Starra's house to dye eggs.  Funny story- Parker got super upset on the way over because she did not want her eggs to "die".  Classic.

Ya by this point Parker only had the ears of her bunny left on her face.

They really got into decorating!

 The next day was Easter.  We actually went to church even!  Our neighbor (who has the egg hunt) is a pastor is town so he invited us to their church.  Parker and Asher played in child care during the service so all was peaceful and relaxing.

 I completely forgot to take pictures of them actually searching for their baskets!  But here is Parker enjoying a game the Easter bunny brought her.

Spring Break

 87 years later...I'm back!  Maybe I'll designate a day to be my "update blog" day.  In the mean time, I need to do a recap on the month of March!  Al, Mary Lou and Sky came out for the week of spring break.  Our main goal of their time here besides having a fun and relaxing trip was to brain-wash Skylar as much as possible to come to college out here.  So we started off their trip with a Ducks baseball game...of which I have no pictures.  The next day we did a walking tour of campus and got him hooked up with the proper UofO hoodie.  

 We climbed around at the columns, the local outdoor climbing wall, hiked up the butte downtown for a photo opt, then took the kids to a favorite park.

On top of Skinner's Butte

Even Sky got into playing with the kids

 

  In the down time we worked on getting the garden ready, seeds planted and Sky gave Parker a lesson on drawing.

Talking about where and when to plant seeds

Orangie loved Sky's suitcase!

One of the days Aaron had off of work we went to the coast.  It was beautiful out with a good amount of wind to get a couple of kites flying.  Sky and Parker had a blast climbing up and running down the sand dunes.  We were the only ones of the beach for quite awhile!

Papa Al and Parker

Parker, Papa Al, Aaron and Asher

Hiking back out from the beach spot

And of course, it wouldn't be a complete trip without a fishing trip or two!  I instructed the boys to take a bunch of pictures...this is all I got.

Until next time, Olsen posse!