The Thames Family

Stationery Card

2012-01-18T22:03:00.001-08:00

Bubbles Bright Thank You Card

Shop custom thank you cards and notes at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Soccer Season

2011-11-16T11:49:00.000-08:00

Soccer season ended a while ago, I just never got around to blogging about it. The blog has been very neglected lately...

Riley really enjoyed playing soccer and was more aggressive than we thought she would be. Tyson was "that kid" who was doing somersaults on the turf field during the game and was perfectly happy sitting out often. Practices were late (6:30-7:30pm) considering our kiddos are up every morning by 6:15am and at preschool all day, the coach wasn't very organized, and it got cold towards the end of the season and dark early. Needless to say, we weren't too sad to see the season end. Hopefully next year will be a little better. :)

Anyhow, here are some pictures from the season.

A little action shot of Tyson... he's even smiling like he enjoys it!

First game.

So cute... she had the pose down really well!

Action shot of Riley.

Last game. I think they each had on about 3 layers of clothes. I was SO cold!

Their own medals.

Best picture of the season... Riley was showing her coach her leg after getting hurt during the game. She apparently needed to lift her shorts all the way up and this was the view the parents got on the sidelines! Love it!

All Things "Punkin"

2011-11-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

We made not one, but TWO trips to Leipold Farms this year... once for a quick family trip to pick up pumpkins to carve, and once to help our little friend Addie celebrate her 3rd birthday! Between the two trips, we ended up with THIRTEEN pumpkins! Most of them were no bigger than Cooper's head, but still! The steps to our front door were decked out this year!

Round 1...

Cooper has an eye for perfect "punkins"!

Round 2...

We went on a hay ride!

We picked out more pumpkins!

We even went through the corn maze!

Only one of the pumpkins ended up getting carved, but it turned out really well!

(I wish this cute face and shirt could help the Seahawks play a little better this season.)

I love this time of year! I am so thankful for the clear skies we've had and for the quality time we've been able to spend together as a family!

Cooper is 3!!!

2011-11-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

Happy 3rd birthday to our smiley guy, Cooper!!
I think I'm still in denial a little...

Cooper had a busy day today! We dropped Tyson off at preschool and Riley off at kindergarten, then had breakfast at Starbucks before heading back to preschool equipped with treats for his friends. He sat in his first dentist's chair and got his teeth cleaned, napped, ate pizza (his dinner of choice!), played a game with Daddy, watched Riley and Tyson's last soccer game of the season (and froze!), blew out a candle, and opened new cuddly warm jammies to wear to bed (that also happen to match the pair Tyson was wearing). Whew!

Loves: milk, books, counting (1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9), The Little Einsteins, his dinosaur boots, the color orange, and Legos.

Does not love: potty training.

Here's hoping this is the year Cooper can start pronouncing the "C" sound... "Pooper" is THE one nickname we're afraid of as he gets older. It's not good to hear him say it himself. And often. :)

Happy Halloween 2011!!

2011-10-31T22:18:00.000-07:00

Another successful Halloween is in the books!!

(Of course, we gave the camera a good workout... here is just a sample.)

Cinderella, Pirate, and Fireman... thank goodness for costumes that still fit! Riley and Cooper are wearing last year's costumes again, and Tyson's is a dress-up outfit we've had for a couple of years. :)

I know I'm a little bias, but she really is a beauty!

Is it just me, or does Tyson look like he's posing for a future firefighters calendar?? He cracks us up!

All three by the only carved pumpkin of the 13 (!!!) we got this year. Most of the them were small, but still... 13?!?

We spent Halloween night Trick-or-Treating with some awesome friends, the Boxell's and the Langley's, in Canby. It was the PERFECT neighborhood! Tyson and Hayden we're talking on the walk back to the cars and summed it up pretty well, "We hit the JACKPOT!!"

One house had a real life scarecrow!!! He touched Rick on the neck and freaked us all out a little... then Riley posed for a photo (of course). :)

Riley and Kylee

With Mommy...

... and Daddy!

The kiddos... minus Halzie. Cooper wasn't too happy to pose for a photo either. :)

Silly faces.

A full family photo. :)

The van ride home was one of the quietest we've had in a very long time... probably since we stopped letting them watch videos in the van 2 months ago. :)

A camping we will go...

2011-09-30T20:04:00.001-07:00

And jet skiing and boating...
It was a fun-filled Labor Day weekend!

(Yes, I know it was a month ago...)

We were able to spend the last weekend of the summer before school started camping and hanging out with friends and family at the property in Washington. We brought the jet skis for the first time to ride on one of the nearby lakes, Yale Lake. We hung out by the campfire, played games, watched the kids run free in the field picking flowers and blackberries, and enjoyed some wonderful conversations. If it hadn't been so windy on the lake- think white caps, big waves, and things blowing off the picnic tables- it would have been the perfect weekend!

First night's campfire with 7 kids and 9 adults.

Riley doing her best scary campfire face.

Cassidy's first jet skiing ride... not alone, of course. Rick got on right after the picture was taken!

Having fun with one of THE best aunt's alive!!

Riley hanging out on the rocky shore.

Beautiful Yale Lake

With an AWESOME view of Mount St. Helens!

On Sunday, Tim put his boat in the water as well, so we had the 2 jet skis and a boat full of very excited kiddos!

The lake was still pretty choppy from the wind, but there was an great little cove we found to anchor in. There is a bridge you drive under into a no wake zone and there were boats anchored everywhere. The perfect place to swim a little... even IF the water was only 66 degrees. Burrrrr!!

The girls were trying to touch the bridge as the boat passed underneath... Our friend Nick actually grabbed onto the bridge while passing under, and he took a couple of jumps off into the brisk water!!

Three beautiful, happy girls!

I must say... I've been very against us ever getting a boat, but after the experience on Tim's boat and the memories it brought back from my childhood on a boat, I may have changed my mind. May have. The kids were natural boaters... they loved every bit of it. Cooper was even in the water longer than any of the other kids- such a trooper!

Rocked to sleep by the boat. :)

After a fun day of boating and jet skiing, the kids were able to play while we packed up to head home.

I'm looking forward to many more nights of camping, jet skiing, and boating... next summer. I love fall, but I'm definitely a little sad to say goodbye to summer.

Our little kindergartener!

2011-09-08T13:34:00.001-07:00

I am still in shock... No, not because I'm finally updating the blog!

Our little girl... our firstborn... started kindergarten today!

She got a goodbye hug from her brother.

Riley will be taking the bus every morning from the preschool, so I dropped her off this morning so she could actually take the bus. It's the last stop, so I jumped in the van and followed the bus and then I was able to meet her when she got to the school. :)

She also has a new haircut!

Waiting in the lunch room for the bell to ring.

And all ready for the day to begin!

Viva Las Vegas

2011-08-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

I SUCK at blogging lately. (And in "lately", I mean the last month and a half.)

I have an iPhoto library FULL of fun photos and stories to tell, but it may take a while.

So... Here are the photos from our trip to Las Vegas in late June... over a month ago. Ugh.

Things I loved about Vegas....

1. "The Lion King"... It was wonderful.

2. Terry Fator at the Mirage.
He was HILARIOUS!! SO talented! Highly recommend seeing his show!

3. Walking the strip and seeing the Bellagio Fountain Show.

4. Quality time with the hubby! (PRICELESS!!!)

I had NO desire to go to Vegas last year with Rick ... He went with a friend instead (and I'm glad he had a fun time), but I regret that a bit.
We had a great time this year!

I promise... more posts from our summer to come. :)

Independence Day 2011

2011-07-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

We had a jam packed 4th of July!! It began with a last minute decision to join in the Happy Valley Parade for the first time- mainly because Robyn was in town and she has ALL the creativity to pull it off last minute!! She decorated the wagon, threw some streamers on the bikes, and we were set!

The Happy Valley community isn't terribly large, but when it comes to the bike parade it seems like everyone comes out to either walk/ride in it or watch! It was fun to bump into so many people we know along the way.

Riley started on the bike... doesn't she look thrilled? :)

Cassidy looking festive!

The boys in the decked out wagon.

Riley wasn't feeling the bike and the boys were fighting in the wagon, so we did a little switch-a-roo! Everyone was much happier!

The girls got red, silver, and blue mani's and pedi's!

Even Rick and I got into the red, white, and blue spirit to walk in the parade!
(A great excuse to for me to wear the Firecracker set from Premier Designs... the bold red necklace and bracelet was perfect for the occasion!)

We were towards the back of the pack... this picture shows the whole street just packed with families on bikes, scooters, floats, in wagons, and little cars. Fun!

We tried to enjoy the festivities at the park, but the kids were pretty toasted so we didn't get too far! They bounced a little, had some snacks, and played on the fire trucks... then we went home. :) Maybe next year, less bike parade and more music and playing in the park!

We spent the rest of the afternoon preparing for our friends the Langley's and Boxell's, and niece Jamie and her husband Aren to arrive for an evening of dinner, yard games, and fireworks!

There were 9 adults and 9 kiddos- organized chaos at it's finest without any issues! The kids all played well together and the adults actually got a chance to socialize a bit! Then we went out front to let off our own fireworks and get ready for the Happy Valley ones that we can see from our driveway.

Tyson didn't love the noise... luckily cousin Aren had some headphones for him!

Sometime between now and next year, we may have to "accidentally" do something to the only little tree blocking our view of the fireworks. :)
(You can barely see the outline of it here... still a GREAT view without actually having to head to the park!

Hope you all had a happy and safe 4th!!

Twinkle Toes

2011-06-26T21:40:00.001-07:00

Riley had her first dance recital on Saturday, and it was just adorable! Her class danced a little ballet number to "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes", and we couldn't have been more proud of Riley! Aunt Robyn, Cousin Cassidy, Aunt Debbie, and cousin Jamie all came to watch with us. There was no photography allowed during the show, but we took some before and after.

With Cassidy, before the show

And after, with her beautiful flowers

Being silly!

Proud parents

SO tired!

And maybe a little grumpy...

It was a busy day... after the recital, Robyn and I took the girls to a cousin's birthday party at 4pm, then we met up with Rick and the boys with the Thames family for a Graduation/Joining the Military Goodbye party for our nephew David.

The kids played HARD in the backyard and were up until nearly 11pm while the adults played poker! They had so much fun!

Cooper playing the "drums" aka the garbage can

Riley and Tyson enjoying yard games

Riley was cracking herself up and posing for all sorts of silly pictures for me...

A few of the kids getting ready to fall asleep to a movie in Melissa's room.

The beautiful view of Mount Hood from Randy and Debbie's house!

It was a jam packed day, but we loved every minute of it!

Now Rick and I are all packed and ready to head to Las Vegas for a little adult vacation! I'm sure I'll have many pictures to post from our trip when we return!

A list

2011-06-16T14:08:00.000-07:00

33 things I'm liking, not-so-liking, and loving right now...

Liking:

My primarily Glee Cast-filled running playlist on my iPhone (with a little Sugarland and Carrie Underwood thrown in for good measure)
So You Think You Can Dance... amazing top 20 and my favorite summer T.V.
The re-usable Starbucks cup Rick got me for my birthday and how hydrated I'm staying because of its convenience
Looking through the random photos the kids take with my cell phone... I'm talking hundreds
Having the kids home from preschool for the summer (sleeping in & not needing to be anywhere)
Bunco nights
Re-reading Breaking Dawn and catching things I forgot about/missed from the first time around... Next up, The Hunger Games series, round 2
Water
Groupon, blogs about how to save money, and coupons I can actually use
Blueberries
Our peaceful backyard

Not-so-liking:

Having the kids home from preschool for the summer (the fighting with each other and their talking back)
The cloudy, rainy weather keeping the kids from playing in the backyard (where they don't seem to fight as much)
My apparent inability to stay healthy for longer than a week
Not receiving RSVPs (yes or no, it's nice to know)... what happened to the good ol' days?
The grunting, arm crossing, stomping, and otherwise negative interactions I've been getting from the kids a little too often lately
The extra 10-15 pounds I'm carrying around
Trying on clothes with above mentioned extra lbs (even the ones in my own closet)
Keeping up with the laundry and housework... it's a never-ending beast
My lack of patience with the kids that sets in around 4pm
People who sit and wait for your parking spot... even when you've just walked up with your 3 kids and a full cart and still need to unload everything and get your kids buckled into their car seats (It's not like a trip to Target/Costco/Winco/etc. isn't stressful enough with 3 kids, right?!? I don't need the added pressure.)
The fact that basketball season doesn't start again for many months... I miss my Blazer's!

Loving:

Cooper's word explosion and his expressive face!
Watching Rick's stress melt away with the end the of school year and getting his report cards done! It's going to be great having him home all summer!
Riley's goofy sense of humor and ability to make herself laugh... often
Tyson's amazing brain and watching him use it to figure things out... for good, not evil.
The fact that Rick and I will be packing for Vegas (and 4 days without kids) in 10 short days
Running
Finally finding time to blog again... I think it's theraputic for me
Working for Premier and being a "Jewelry Lady"
Having the kids home from preschool for the summer (spending time with them) :)
Getting facials... why did I wait 32 years to get one??
Myself... At least I'm trying. We're our own worst critics, aren't we?

Summer do'

2011-06-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

Brushing Riley's hair has become an unpleasant experience for all parties involved, so we made the decision to get it cut somewhere between her shoulder and chin. She wants it "Short like Mommy's." The appointment was all set for the 14th... until we found out that her hair needed to be long enough to fit into a bun for her dance recital on the 25th. Instead, we're inching our way up... the rest will come off in July after the recital.

Before...
(Getting unhealthy and difficult to brush through.)

After...
(Healthy, shorter, and still long enough for a bun!)

I know I will be posting a ton of pictures after her recital, but this one is just too cute not to post right now! All dressed up for her class photos.

Lemons into lemonade?

2011-06-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

I posted a status update last night on facebook making reference to the mother of all fits that Tyson was throwing at bedtime... It started with him not wanting to brush his teeth ("I can't! I don't know how!"), moved on to him not wanting to wash his hands after going potty ("I can't! I don't want to!"), and finally evolved into him focusing on the fact that we wouldn't cuddle with him. We're talking screaming, grunting, stomping, yelling, and crying uncontrollably. It was definitely a "Where have we gone wrong??" moment. I started laughing a couple of times (not in front of Tyson of course), only because if I didn't start laughing I would have been crying. My heart hurt to watch him be so upset, but Rick and I were not going to give in to his spoiled behavior. It was a power struggle, for sure.

After he kept running out of his room screaming about his room being "boring" and us "not being fair" for not cuddling with him (at 8:45pm after the fit had been going on for over an hour), we decided to tell him that his bed would be taken away if he continued to come out screaming. He screamed FROM his bed for about 5 minutes, knowing what would happen if he did come out, but he couldn't resist- out he came. So, he lost his bed, and he had to sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag for the night. I still wouldn't cuddle with him, but I did end up sitting in his room reading my book while he calmed himself down and finally fell asleep. Now I'm sure there are people that will read this and NOT agree with the way we handled the situation (taking out Tyson's bed), and I'm sorry for that. I probably wouldn't agree with every parenting decision you have made, either. But, Rick and I are good parents and most importantly WE LOVE OUR KIDS- very much. Also VERY important throughout all of this- we didn't yell at Tyson, or get angry with him, or lose our cool. We were calm the entire time- and thankful when it ended.

This is how our smart, strong-willed, free-spirited son ended up sleeping last night.
Tyson was most concerned about losing his bed because he wanted to be "comfy".

This morning, Tyson woke up and shared his new room "set-up" with Riley. They promptly decided that Riley needed her sleeping bag out as well, so they could play camping. They built a fire, cooked, and generally got along really well playing for most of the morning. Tyson even told me earlier that he didn't want to earn his bed back until tomorrow- even though he's making good choices today and COULD earn it back- because he wants to continue sleeping in his sleeping bag ("Because it was so much fun!"). So, did our "punishment" backfire on us because now Tyson thinks his room is fun for camping without the bed? I don't think so. I think he still got the message, and today has been a new day. A better day. So far.

This was their camping "set-up".

33 and 13.1

2011-06-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

June has been a big month already!!

On June 1st, I celebrated my 33rd birthday! Three is one of my two lucky numbers (13 is the other), so 33 is sure to be a fantastic year!

Rick and I celebrated a couple days early at Edgefield, playing golf, pool, and darts, and enjoying our favorite local micro brew- Ruby! We love playing the pub course at Edgefield... pitching wedge and putter only!

Us on the course!

For my actual birthday, I was scheduled to get a facial and planning on seeing a movie in the afternoon, but Riley ended up getting sick so we had a relaxing girl's day at home instead. When Rick got home from work, he let me head out for a night alone to see a movie and do some shopping on my own. I enjoyed Happy Hour at The Ram, saw Bridesmaids, and got a few new tank tops at The Loft- thanks to some gift cards and birthday money. It was a great day!

My birthday dinner...
(Healthy, right?!?)

Just 11 days after my birthday, I ran my second half marathon (my first since September of 2007), the Helvetia Half Marathon. A half marathon is 13.1 miles... which includes my other favorite number! It's named for a tavern in Hillsboro, and the race starts and ends at the Hillsboro Stadium. I've been training for the past few months, and when I was able, I would join two other awesome women for a long run on Saturday afternoons- THE only thing that kept me motivated to train! Just my luck, the week before the race I spent sick, probably battling whatever it was that Riley had, so I wasn't super confident going into the run on Saturday morning.

Despite not feeling 100%, I had a great run! My official time was 2:12:39, 4 minutes and 15 seconds faster than my previous half. And after running two full marathons (26.2 miles), this half marathon went by SO FAST! I can't wait to run another soon!

My friend Holly and I before the race, sitting in the bleachers.

And after the race!!
Holly came in over a minute ahead of me- she kicks butt!!

These are the two awesome ladies I trained with, when I could; Holly and Jeni. I seriously would NOT have done the race without their support and encouragement. :)

After the race, the Helvetia Tavern supplied some tasty burgers and Widmer Brother's supplied the beer garden! Cheers!

The rest of June consists of being spending quality time with the kids while they're home for summer break, flying two 3-day trips, and then enjoying 4 days in Las Vegas with Rick the last week of the month. I can't wait for our trip and the chance to spend time with my incredible husband!!

Last day of preschool!

2011-06-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, the kids said goodbye to their friends and teachers at preschool for the summer.

I thought I'd go back to their picture from the first day of preschool in the fall, and I couldn't believe how similar they look- just a little more grown up!

Now we are just sitting around waiting for the summer weather to show up... which usually happens around July 5th! :)

I'm ready to enjoy this week at home with the kids by myself until next Monday when Rick finishes up his school year, then we're all home together! (At least when I'm not off flying!)

Tyson's Amazing Surprise

2011-06-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

** This post was actually written May 17th, but I finally got around to trimming the video and getting it posted- the full video wouldn't post.**

On Saturday night, Tyson snuck out of bed and came downstairs to see Rick (I was flying). When Rick asked why he was out of bed, Tyson said he wanted to show him something... then proceeded to READ the first page and a half of the kid's Bible we have. READ!!

I wasn't there, but for Rick I think it was definitely one of those jaw-dropping, what-the-heck?? kind of parenting moments. In a good way.

Rick has been working with Riley and Tyson doing Hooked on Phonics, and we knew he could sound out some words. This was still rather amazing though! Tyson just turned 4 in February, but he has always been one to pick up on things easily. S0 just to clarify... This is not being read from memorization. This is not a book we read to him every night (or ever for that matter), he really was just reading it!

I was home Sunday morning when the kids woke up, and the very first thing Tyson wanted to show me was his new skills... check it out!!

San Diego: Day 3

2011-06-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

We spent our last day in San Diego on Coronado Island, visiting the beach outside the Hotel del Coronado. Such a beautiful, historical hotel... too bad the weather wasn't beautiful, too! It felt like a cool day on the Oregon coast rather than Southern California! The kids still had a lot of fun playing in the sand, despite the clouds and wind!

Hotel del Coronado

A big smile from Miss Riley!

Tyson was in heaven, running around leaving his mark all over the beach!

Cooper was content burying his own legs, following his brother around, and trying to destroy whatever Riley was building!

Several military planes landed on the island's military airstrip... flying low RIGHT over our heads! It was pretty cool!

Rick and I trying to get a picture of ourselves... I didn't realize until downloading them how much the wind was blowing my hair in Rick's face- oops!

I like this one because my hair looks like a little mustache on him! :)

Looking at this picture, I thankful for still photos rather than video...
Here I see a beautiful setting, three amazing kids having fun and getting dirty, and I think "What an awesome vacation!!".
In reality, I remember being a total ball of stress almost the whole weekend. Often trying (without success) to get Tyson or Riley or Cooper or often times all three of the kids to listen, stand still, not climb on things, not throw sand, not fight, not whine, not run off in the middle of big crowds, etc., etc., etc. We still had fun, but I need to remember to chill out a bit more on future vacations with the kids. Or they need to learn to listen. :) (kidding)

And this was the scene on the way to the airport! So peaceful!
(And yes, Cooper's face got about 10 times more red AND blistered by the morning! We will not be forgetting sunscreen again for a while- we felt awful!!)

San Diego: Day 1 & 2

2011-06-09T10:19:00.000-07:00

Finally getting around to posting pictures from our Memorial Day weekend trip to San Diego...

Rick and I picked the kids up early from preschool on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend and finally let them know where we were going- San Diego and Sea World!! They were just excited to be going on an airplane!

All settled on the (Southwest) airplane... in our FREE seats!!
(One of the perks of being a stewardess that we don't take advantage of often enough.)

Thank goodness for modern technology to occupy the kiddos!

After spending the morning at preschool and the afternoon and evening traveling, we had 3 very tired kids and only 2 beds in the hotel room... happy they are still small enough to all fit on one bed!

Geared up for a big day at Sea World!

We played in the Sesame Street area for a while...

Then we found some dolphins.

And had perfect timing to catch the dolphin show... and for Cooper to rest a little before it started!

The show was really entertaining!

Southwest Airlines is one of Sea World's main sponsors, so I was proud to see this!
(And thanks to Southwest and Sea World for the FREE entry for Rick and I!!)

We walked under sharks... this is Tyson's best shark impression!

Then we found ways to entertain ourselves while we waited to see One Ocean, the brand new Shamu show. We saw it on the very first day, and really enjoyed it.

Look familiar?? With a little more red on their faces... oops!

And I have to post a picture of Cooper, doing his best impression of a poorly dressed tourist!
He wet through his diaper and his original shorts were dirty, so we had to buy him new ones. We went practical with new swim trunks. Then of course there is the socks with shoes look... he was a vision!

And another night of hard sleeping!

"My doos!!"

2011-05-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

Cooper's new favorite thing to say- "My doos!"... As in, back off mom and dad, I got this!

And if he can't figure out whatever it is, then we get "Mommy doos!" or "Daddy doos!" or "Elp!" (help). As long as we have time to wait, it's pretty cute watching him and his little mind work. When we're in a hurry, it can be not as cute. :)

Some "My doos." successes: getting into his carseat, putting on his pajamas, and washing his hands (and REALLY scrubbing- with soap)!

Last week, he decided he wanted to try to put on his socks all by himself...

He got really far, about half the sock was on... then he pulled it off, held it out to me, and said, "Mommy doos!"

He has also become a HUGE fan of the word "Why?". It started Mother's Day morning, and Rick has been enduring it ever since... a lot. Which means his mind is working even harder, bubbling over with curiosity. I love it!

Future van Gogh?

2011-05-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Tyson painted this awesome picture for me for Mother's Day at preschool... inspired by Vincent van Gogh's paintings of sunflowers. Such a priceless gift! Now we just need to find the perfect place to hang it in the house!

Mother's Day 11'

2011-05-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

We certainly made the most of our Mother's Day, even though I am only home for about 16 hours on an overnight!

Rick and the kids got our day started with cards, hand-made gifts, and gift certificates from Spa Finder for another facial or massage!!

We decided to "skip" church since we were short on time before I have to leave for the airport, and we went to Jazzy Bagels for breakfast instead!
I love that place!!

Peanut butter smile!

Yum!

Say "Cream Cheese!!"

We also visited the cemetery and left flowers for Grandma Doris (Rick's mom)... our 4th Mother's Day without her and she is missed constantly!

And a few family photos...

Love ALL the faces in this one!

Can't forget some with Daddy, too!
(Again, thankful for the automatic timer!)

I am blessed to have had SO many wonderful women in my life to help me in my own journey as a wife and mother: my grandma, mom, step-mom, sister, aunts, mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, cousins, and cherished friends! Thank you all for being such strong, beautiful women that I can look up to and learn from! Love you all!

Now I'm off to the airport for 2 more days of the friendly skies!
San Fransisco, here I come!

And then a random picture of Mt. Hood from our drive home last week from the Tri-Cities.
So beautiful!

Snail Mail

2011-05-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

(This was one of stacks sent out this week... the smaller of the two!)

I love mail.
I love sending mail and getting mail.
Not the kind that makes my phone vibrate, or that I have to type to reply to.
The kind with an envelope, stamps, and fun cards inside. Or a gift. Or money.
Sometimes, on a really slow day at the house, my trip to the mailbox can be the highlight! :)

Lately, I have been keeping the USPS very busy! Mother's Day, birthdays, and new babies, sending out Premier catalogs, and Thank You postcards for recent orders... I'm really getting to know the faces at my local post office!

Have you sent anything via snail mail lately?
You should, it might put a smile on someone's face!

Whirlwind

2011-04-30T16:20:00.000-07:00

I feel like the only trips I make to the Tri-Cities lately are super quick, one night trips- the most recent one taking place this past week with all 3 kids in tow. I had booked a jewelry show (yay!) and Rick was at Outdoor School for the week, so the kids and I took a road trip!!

Things I loved about the road trip:

Listening to the kids play games from the backseat. They played I Spy, searched for cloud shapes ("Look, it's a flying camel!"), looked for trains (Me: "There's the caboose." Tyson: "And the one in the front was the line leader!"), told nonsensical Knock, Knock jokes ("Knock knock. Who's there? Riley. Riley who? Riley Ann Thames!" followed by fits of giggles), watched movies (How to Train Your Dragon and Toy Story), asked "When are we going to get to the bridge?" about 50 times each (the one crossing into Washington), and said "Goodbye, Oregon!" and "Hello, Washington!" when finally crossing said bridge.

Getting to hold another successful Premier Jewelry Show with a group of wonderful ladies AND booking 3 more shows in the months to come! Which means more Bruchi's chicken cheesesteaks for me... I get at least one every visit. (I have been know to get one for lunch when I pull into town and another one for lunch on my way out the next day...)

Grandma and Grandpa watching all 3 kids for the very first time! They fed them dinner and put them to bed, giving me the opportunity to actually DO the Home Show! Thank you!!

The kids being able to run themselves ragged outside playing! We are just closing the books on one of the 3rd wettest April in Portland's history, with record low temps as well. I decided after this trip that I would take Tri-Cities wind over Portland's rain almost any day, because at least the kids could still play outside without mud being an issue! They LOVED every second of it and hopefully got a good dose of Vitamin D in the process. :)

Listening to the silence of wiped out, sleeping kids on the trip home. Riley and Cooper were out by the time we crossed back into Oregon, and Tyson watched a movie with a zoned out looked on his face. I also enjoyed the view of Mt. Hood surrounded by blue skies on the way home!

We arrived home only 5 minutes after Rick, and we were all SO happy to see him after 5 nights away.

I'm looking forward to heading back (solo) in late May for another Home Show, and looks like all five of us will be able to make a trip in late June, early July actually visit for a few days!

Feeling Frumpy...

2011-04-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

Occasionally, I like to live on the edge.

Like last week when I put my last pair of contacts in without having ordered a new box!
I know, I'm a crazy girl.
Just my luck, the very next day, I tore a contact while taking it out. Without a back-up pair. UGH.

Thank goodness for my cute glasses.

Except for the fact that I don't really care for the way I look in glasses.
They give me a headache from the pressure on my nose and behind the ears
When in rains in Portland (which is often) the glasses get covered in raindrops.
My eyes are really sensitive to the light, and I can't wear sunglasses.

It's been a long week. I usually only wear my glasses late in the evening and in the morning before putting in my contacts. Or when I'm sick and being lazy all day.

So, if you combine feeling really awful all weekend (even losing my voice for a couple of days) and being "forced" to wear my glasses all day, everyday, I've just not been myself.

I've been feeling frumpy.

Then a wonderful UPS man knocked on my door today, delivered my contacts, and saved me from my frumpiness!! (Is that a word?)
I am a new woman!
I have energy, confidence, a skip in my step!
I can see!

My glasses are going back to their rightful place... on my nightstand. :)

I obviously have too much time on my hands if I'm blogging about this.
Maybe I'll go channel some of this new found energy into something productive like vacuuming the house...

Happy Wednesday! :)

Happy Easter!!

2011-04-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

Our Easter in a nutshell... Or would it be eggshell??

Easter Bunny made an appearance ("He" ran out of time and was kind of lame this year, especially to Cooper)
Chocolate chip pancakes (yum)
The 8:30am service at church (AMAZING Bridge message!)
In house egg hunt (silly OR rain...)
Egg coloring (nothing was stained!)
Tacos for lunch (yum, again)

Still to come...

Rick leaving for Outdoor School for 5 days (yes, on Easter... yes, it sucks.)
Quality time with the family for Easter dinner (more yummy food)
Early bedtimes for ALL (mine will be Nyquil induced because I have yet another cold)

And of course, loads of photo ops...

Riley got Tangled, Princess card games, and some cute pj's

Tyson got a new backpack and a Batum bobblehead (thank you Wells Fargo!)
He was excited to see something Blazer's!

Cooper got Memory and sidewalk chalk

I love all of these pictures of the kids... I couldn't just pick one...

These are the times when we are very thankful for automatic timers on cameras!!
(Also, when I begin to realize that I need to start using powder... HEL-LO shiny!)

As much as I am going to miss Rick while he is gone getting drenched this week at Outdoor School, I am looking forward to a few days of rest for myself (just say "No!" to subbing), and finally giving the house the TLC it has been lacking since mid-February. I feel a little productivity coming on... :)

Girl's Night Out

2011-04-16T14:03:00.001-07:00

I love having so many girlfriends who share my love of the Blazer's!!

Actually, these two ladies are probably bigger fans than I am! :)

Melissa, Rachael, and I waiting to get autographs before the game. :)

Rudy Fernandez #5, just after he signed Rachael's jersey!

She was pretty excited to get his autograph ON her jersey!!
I was hoping Nicolas Batum would be there as well to sign mine... maybe next time!

Our view of the court from the 200 level.

Having some fun... I'm standing in front of Batum (and wearing his jersey), and Rachael is wearing a Fernandez jersey and standing in front of him!

Playoffs start tonight, and I'm so excited!!!
And it looks like Rick and I will be attending Game 4 of the series against Dallas next Saturday afternoon. Woo hoo!!

Basketball Unicorns

2011-04-15T14:41:00.000-07:00

Riley brought this home last week from preschool... Our conversation went like this:

Me: Riley, did you make this for the Blazer's?
Riley: Yeah, Teacher wrote the Blazer's, but I wrote some of it. We were learning about unicorns.
Me: Unicorns? (Me thinking that was a strange transition in the conversation for a few seconds... then...) Ooooh, do you mean uniforms?
Riley: Yeah, uniforms. Oh yeah, unicorns are those horses with the thing sticking out. :)

I love that the kids are getting into the Trailblazer's this season... It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that we "force" them to watch games on TV, could it? HA!

We will all be rooting for the Blazer's on Saturday as they start their playoffs run against Dallas.
Let's go Bla-zer's!!

New Jewelry Blog

2011-04-11T21:23:00.000-07:00

I have a new blog for you to add to your blog roll or bookmarks:

www.brookethames.blogspot.com

I will be using the above blog for all things Bling!, rather than using our family blog for my jewelry business. :)

I hope you'll check in often for photos of some of my favorite jewelry combinations, monthly specials, GIVEAWAYS!!, and fashion tips.

I would LOVE to have you as a follower, so come and join me!

April Specials from Jeweler Brooke Thames!

2011-03-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

April is just around the corner, and I wanted to pass along a new Gift With Purchase Special being offered by Premier Designs for Home Show purchases between April 1st and April 30th!

Also, look for a Gift Certificate Giveaway towards the bottom of this post!

Egg-cellent April Offer!! With any $75 purchase made at a Home Show between April 1st and April 30th, the buyer will receive any one item priced at $40 or less for FREE!! This is an awesome promotion, but it's only available to purchases made at a Home Show. Call or email to get your Home Show on my April calendar, and I'll throw in a FREE Clip It, a $10 value!

I am also beginning two of my very own promotions valid for Home Shows AND individual orders:

I have a new “Happy Book”, filled with items marked with a sticker that you can get for only $10 when you purchase any 3 items!

The second offer is called 30/40/50, and this is available for both Home Show orders and individual orders:

· When you buy 3 items, you receive 30% off the MOST EXPENSIVE item.

· When you buy 4 items, you receive 40% off the MOST EXPENSIVE item.

· When you buy 5 items, you receive 50% off the MOST EXPENSIVE item.

Jewelry is a wonderful gift for any woman in your life! Don't forget, Mother's Day is May 8th, and we are also coming up on graduation and bridal shower season.

Do you have a Fundraising need? Did you know I do Fundraiser Home and Catalog Shows?? Just ask for more details!

I wanted to say a HUGE thank you to these amazing hostesses who helped me achieve my Quick Start with Premier Designs, holding 6-9 shows in my first 60 days of business. You ladies helped me get my business off to an amazing start and I'm SO grateful for that!

· Heather Pastore

· Holly Schauer

· Valoree Hill

· Rebecca Cassidy

· Holly Birman

· Diane Wicks & Robyn Burt

· Becca Mandina

· Ariane Donovan

· Rachael Langley

Past Hostesses receive 20% OFF any orders they place in the 6 months

following their Home Show! Find out more details on what you receive as

a Hostess at the end of this email!

Respond in the comments section to be entered to win a $30 Gift Certificate towards jewelry of your choice! No minimum purchase necessary to use the Gift Certificate and it doesn’t expire until December 31^st, 2011! Winner will be picked at random on April 1, 2011- no foolin’! :)

Respond in the comments section or email me with Catalog if you're interested in a catalog for individual purchases or a Catalog Show!

Respond in the comments section or email me with Home Show in the subject line and your contact information in the body of the email to get your Home Show on my calendar!

My Contact Information:
Brooke Thames
brookethames@gmail.com

Details of Premier's awesome Hostess Plan:

As a Hostess of a Premier Designs Home Show* you may receive:

· 30% of the Home Show’s Total Retail in Premier Designs Jewelry of your choice

· The opportunity to purchase 4 to 8 items at ½ price based on the Total Retail of your Home Show

$100-$300 = 4 ½ price items

$301-$499 = 6 ½ price items

$500+ = 8 ½ price items

The Hostess may also receive a $25 Hostess Bonus Award for each of the following:

· Holding your Home Show on the originally scheduled date

· Having $100 in Advance Sales (before the Home Show)

· Have 10 or more guests (18 years of age or older) at the Home Show

· Three or more future bookings at the Home Show

*To qualify for Hostess Benefits, a Home Show must total at least $100 Retail in guest orders

Reasons to become a Hostess:

Learn new ways to accessorize and stretch your wardrobe with jewelry!
Free jewelry! (Not to mention the ½ price selections!)
An excuse to get together with the wonderful women in your life!
Add some color to your outfits with the new Spring Line!
Why not??

Is Premier Designs for you?

· Be your own boss

· 50% profit on all retail sales

· No inventory, quotas, or deliveries

· Amazing Hostess plan

· Premier’s Golden Guarantee

Fun with scooters

2011-03-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

With a (rare) break in the rain, we were able to head outside to the back patio a couple of weekends ago and enjoy the scooters that Grandma Gayle and Papa got the kids for their birthdays.

The kids keep asking when the rain will stop and we can go outside again.

I wonder the same thing.

I love the green in Oregon. Don't love the rain so much. Which makes it so green. Oh well.

2011-03-14T22:25:00.000-07:00

Riley has become quite the fashionista.

She loves to dress herself and would choose to wear a skirt and/or dress every single day if we'd let her.

She also loves to have her picture taken. :)

So, when Riley had her little kissing incident at preschool (if you're not familiar with this, you should read my previous post), Rick had a great idea. Wearing skirts was taken away from Riley, as a "punishment". At least for a little while. Which is really funny, because that is complete opposite from me! I actually wore a skirt to school last week, and Riley was pretty proud of me. :)

She also got her hair cut a couple of weeks ago. We were considering cutting it up to her shoulders, but we'll save that for the spring/early summer. (Yes, I'm being way too sentimental about her hair.) A woman at the salon braided her hair and she was pretty excited about it!
(I got my haircut, too.)

One of those days...

2011-03-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

I'm about halfway done with my long-term sub position in 4th grade. I have to admit it has been at times very challenging, but certainly educational (for me, and hopefully for them). In the class, I have the only student in the whole school on a behavior contract, a girl who bullies anyone you seat near her, and several Chatty Cathy's. Most days I am exhausted by the time school ends at 2:45pm. The teacher I'm subbing for came to visit a couple of days ago (she had surgery and is home recovering), and she even said she didn't realize how exhausting the class was until she's been away from them for a couple of weeks. I will always appreciate this experience and all the tools I am acquiring on conflict resolution! :)

Now turning to our own kids...

Tyson has been struggling with some angry outbursts at preschool, including kicking some chairs last week and screaming. He spent some time in the office this afternoon at preschool because he had a bit of a meltdown. Awesome.

Cooper has two of the most random teeth coming in... as in the two bottom teeth on either side of his middle bottom teeth. The kind most kids get in before their first birthdays. He's almost 2 1/2. AND he has all the other teeth in his mouth already, so those silly teeth are trying cram their way in between some pretty well-established teeth. As a result, he's a total grumpster- which has not gone unnoticed at preschool either. Awesome.

Then there's Riley... usually glowing reviews from her days at preschool. Until today. Riley's teacher caught Rick and I before we entered the building this evening to let us know that Riley has been kissing a few of the boys at preschool. On the mouth. Often. Awesome.

So, after my exhausting day at school dealing with other people's kiddos and a week of my first parent conference, phone call, letter, and email (all for different kids), I got to hear all about how my own kids are creating issues for their teachers. It was all I could to not burst into tears before even leaving the preschool building tonight.

Tyson went to bed early tonight.

Cooper sat in more time-outs this evening then he has in the past month (at least it felt that way), and he's taken to flopping on the floor in a drama-filled fits.

Riley lost her doll house, her new flashlight, and Princess (her beloved stuffed bunny, and her best friend).

When we sat Riley down to talk about why those things were taken away and what her teacher had talked to us about, she said "For kissing at school." Honestly, I had a to walk out of the room because I started giggling. And her reason for kissing them? "Because I love them." We then talked about other ways she could show love towards her friends at school. She came up with making pictures for them, and making them necklaces and bracelets. We also let her know she could be polite to them, share, and just play with them. I guess the bright side is, she "got in trouble" at school for showing too much love. We were more disappointed to hear that her teacher had talked to her about it a few times already and she continued with the behavior. Hopefully our talk will help.

I don't want another day like today for a while. I'm hoping for a positive day in the classroom tomorrow, and for good reports from preschool. I think my nerves need it. :)

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Happy 6 years to us!!

2011-03-06T18:42:00.000-08:00

Thanks to an amazing deal from Groupon, Rick and I were able to spend our 6th anniversary at the historic Viewpoint Inn in Corbett, OR on March 5th. The Viewpoint Inn has been around since the early 1900's and is a historic building overlooking the beautiful Columbia River Gorge- only about 20 miles away from downtown Portland. President Roosevelt and Charlie Chaplin apparently visited there, and the suite we stayed in was named after Roosevelt. It also just happens to be the site of filming for the prom scene at the end of Twilight. The final scene of Victoria looking down on Edward and Bella dancing in the gazebo was filmed from the window of our Roosevelt Suite (according to the guy who showed us to our room!).

There are only 4 rooms at the Inn, no TV's in the rooms, and the grounds are pretty small, so it was a very relaxing evening. With my Groupon, we also received a bottle of champagne and $25 towards food at the restaurant, which was nice. I couldn't stop taking picture of our beautiful room and the view!

The window where the scene in Twilight was filmed from.

Our room

Outside our bedroom was a whole sitting room with a fireplace, table, and several places to sit.

The whole place had fun built-ins, little closets, and so much character!

The view of the Gorge, Vancouver, and Portland... on a clear, sunny day, I bet the view is even more amazing!!

The Viewpoint Inn... our room was the two windows on the left of the second floor, and we ate dinner at a table by the window right in the middle on the bottom.

We woke up to a foggy morning, and I was very thankful I got pictures the night before!

And this must be THE most stylish chicken coop I have ever seen!

It was a much needed evening away for rest!

Catching up...

2011-03-06T17:51:00.000-08:00

Man, have I been a SLACKER at blogging lately! We have been leading a crazy-hectic life around here and blogging has taken a huge back-burner to other things. That, and my laptop's hard drive went out and the DVR in the office hasn't been working, so sitting down to blog with no TV to catch up on in the background has made it less appealing. Sad, right?! The office DVR is still not working, and my laptop is fixed but has no pictures on it yet, so I'm sucking it up and blogging in complete silence in the office. (Not complete silence, I can hear Rick feeding the kids dinner- so nice of him to give me this time!) So, here is my best attempt at catching up for the last 3 1/2 weeks since my post about Tyson's birthday...

We had a big birthday weekend over February 12 and 13th. The night of the 12th, we had all the family over, including my mom, Jim, and Cassidy from the Tri-Cities, and we had tacos, cake, and the kids were spoiled with presents. :)

On the 13th, we rented out JJ Jump (an indoor bounce house arena) for a private party for a little over 2 hours. We invited Riley and Tyson's friends from preschool, plus from of our family friends, about 30 kids and 15-20 adults in all. The kids played, jumped, and generally wore themselves out for about an hour, then we stuffed their faces with pizza, juice, and cake! I was surprised at how not hectic the party felt! The kids were spread out playing (it's a pretty big place for 30 kids), and then they were all so hungry that they sat nicely at the tables and ate... it was so nice! Here are only a few pictures from the day- the camera was resting while we enjoyed watching the kids play and talked with some of the preschool parents.

Riley and Cooper before the party- Riley LOVED the new dress she got from Grandma and Grandpa! Isn't it cute? :)

The kids got to try and win money and prizes- Riley kept catching things and letting them go, she didn't quite get it. Tyson got a dollar and he was pretty excited!

The party guests!

And the cakes... Riley's party theme was actually Barbie, but got a Costco princess cake. Tyson's party was Transformers, and got dinosaur balloons and cake. :)

It was a wonderful weekend with friends and family! Even though the kids were once again cursed with the dreaded joint parties (and will be for years), I think they both felt really special and loved!

Paul Frank jammies have made their way to our house, courtesy of Aunt Robyn! The kids now have favorite jammies, the best part is hearing Cooper call them his "Ooh, ooh, aah, aah's"!

Moving on from the kids, I have seen a big change in the past few weeks as far as my schedule goes. I was offered a six week long-term substitute teaching position that started on February 17th, at the school I student taught at last year. It's in a fourth grade classroom, and so far it has been an adventure! I'm enjoying being home every night, but a part of me misses flying just a little bit. What's funny is, about 2 months before being offered the position, Rick and I had decided that financially it would be best to put flying first in my schedule, then sub only to fill in the days off. Then this dropped into my lap and I was more than happy to shift thinking again to focus more on teaching. It's been a wonderful learning experience already- I even had my first parent phone call on Friday and I have my first parent meeting tomorrow. Fun times. :)

I have also really been enjoying my job as a Jeweler with Premier Designs. Just this past Friday, I complete what is called a Quick Start with the company- holding 6-9 Home Shows in your first 60 days as a Jeweler. I completed 9, so I'm getting a $300 bonus to put towards jewelry to have on my table to show. I've also been Top Seller in my little Premier family for both January and February, which is fun! I'm sure things will quiet down now that my Quick Start is completed, but I'm looking forward to seeing where my path with Premier takes me!

That's enough for now... I have MUCH more to share, including a little fashion show from Riley, fun with scooters, and pictures from our anniversary getaway to The Viewpoint Inn this weekend. Stay tuned!

4 years old!

2011-02-11T20:44:00.000-08:00

Happy 4th birthday, Tyson!!

We didn't go too long in the Thames household without a resident 4 year-old... only two days to be exact. Tyson turned 4 today, filling the gap Riley left when she turned 5 on Wednesday. It's a busy time for birthdays around here!

Doesn't he look SO excited! Much better than the fit he was throwing last night because he really wanted his birthday to be that day and not the next... patience in not a strong suit among the Thames children. :) (and yes, I know where they get it from...)

Gotta love a good Red Robin sundae and birthday song!

They sang to Riley too...

And of course Cooper wanted in on the balloon action as well.

There is MUCH more to come on the birthday front around here... tomorrow is a family birthday here at the house with Grandma, Grandpa, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Then the big JJ Jump blowout on Sunday with all of their friends. Definitely more pictures to come from both events!

Goodness gracious, look who's 5!!

2011-02-09T21:12:00.000-08:00

Our bright, thoughtful, imaginative, loving, and adorable little lady turned 5 years old today...

Can I just say, she looks older to me!
"Five" sounds WAY cooler than "Four", doesn't it? :)

Waiting patiently for her ice cream... she was one tired girl after such an eventful birthday.
New birthday outfit to start her day, a video message from Mommy (who was out of town until mid-day), card and other goodies from her preschool friends, a Riley-only trip to Build-a-Bear with Mommy and Daddy to pick out a new outfit for Princess (her bunny that is celebrating her 2nd birthday today), dinner at Applebee's with her brothers, several phone calls from family, and then ice cream at home. She was actually falling asleep in the car on the way home and we had to force her to stay awake! :)

I hope she made a fantastic wish.

And not to leave out her brothers...
Cooper enjoying some ice cream.

And Tyson trying on Mommy's shoes.

Shiner

2011-02-01T08:11:00.001-08:00

Cooper + a tricycle + the wall =
A pretty decent black eye!

(It was WAY more impressive in person!)

Two days after Cooper collided with the wall while at preschool, Riley was pushing an empty swing outside, looked away, then looked back just in time for the swing to hit her in the face... giving her a nice bruise right on her upper lip. Then, Tyson slipped while running outside a few minutes later and got a big bruise on his right cheek. Their teachers and I were joking that it might be a good idea to avoid the doctors office until their bruises clear up, otherwise we might be there a while! Thank goodness they document everything at the preschool, too! :)

I also have some great pictures from our Family Fort Fest on Sunday morning, but I'll have to post them Thursday when I get home from my trip. I got some cute pictures, remembered to bring the camera with me to upload them, but then accidentally grabbed the wrong cord... oops!

A Weekend in Pictures

2011-01-23T13:06:00.001-08:00

We're enjoying a lazy-ish weekend at home... besides a jewelry Home Show on Friday night and a Blazer's game on Saturday night, we've pretty much just been lounging around. Here are a few fun photos I've taken...

Riley creates some pretty elaborate "set-ups" in her room with all of her Barbies, My Little Ponies, and other various treasures. This was her creation after quiet time yesterday:

Highlights: Cinderella on her horse, a gift receipt from her last birthday, piano playing Barbie, the boat in the "bathroom", and the Ariel Barbie's huge lip gloss...

Highlights: Topless Barbie at the table and all the "kids" piled on the couch watching the T.V.
I love that she is so creative and uses her imagination so much. She's about to head to her room for quiet time again this afternoon and I can't wait to see what she comes up with!

Tyson loving his Fuzzy Wuzzy...

And playing on his "computer" (aka the Handy Manny Repair Shop)

Cooper snuggled on the couch with two of his favs: Jett, the bear and his newest Mickey Mouse blankie

And a few other random photos:

Our hallway has become home to some repo'd toys after Tyson threw a ginormous fit while leaving preschool on Friday evening. Everything out of this room, including his Toy Story blanket- probably the most missed. He's working on earning them back by making better choices this weekend.

I also got to enjoy an awesome Trailblazer's game last night with our friend Holly. They send the game ball down through the crowd before each game and usually it's all the way on the other side of the Rose Garden... but, last night it came down RIGHT through our section!!! We were pumped to get a chance to touch the actual game ball- so fun- and our faces were on the Jumbo-tron while we held it up together!! Then, the Blazer's went on to play rather horribly for 3 quarters and we were pretty sure we'd cursed the ball... until they turned it around in the 4th quarter and came back to win it!

Another highlight from the evening- I finally bought my first jersey!! It's taken me this long to decide who I wanted; EVERYONE seems to have Roy and Oden, and they're not even playing this season due to injury. Aldridge and Mills were in the running, but I finally settled on Batum, number 88. He's my friend Melissa's absolute favorite player and he's been playing really well since all the "all-stars" have been out injured, so I'm happy with my choice!

Sorry about the boob shot, it was the best angle I could of the # while taking the photo myself.

And then a few fun pictures from my amazing trip last week, with an overnight in Burbank, CA. The first picture is blurry, but shows me sitting in the airplane engine! The second is a beautiful shot of the full moon rising over the hills of L.A.

Rick and I are topping off the relaxing weekend with a little date night tonight, which should be fun!

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend as well!

Tyson's 4th Birthday

2011-01-23T11:55:00.001-08:00

Seal Appeal Blue Birthday Invitation

Shutterfly has unique and fun birthday party cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Riley's 5th Birthday

2011-01-23T11:50:00.001-08:00

Seal Appeal Green Birthday Invitation

Personalize your happy birthday cards at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

I'm still here...

2011-01-20T14:02:00.001-08:00

This poor little blog of mine… so neglected. Silly me- I thought life after the holidays would slow down a bit. You know, more time to relax. Nights at home with nothing to do but spend time with my amazing little family. So not how 2011 is starting out.

I honestly don’t know what I would do without my planning calendars AND the iCal feature on my iPhone. Rick and I are able to sync our calendars together with iCal and I have everything color coded… there’s not a single date on the calendar that doesn’t have a little “dot” indicating there is something planned for that day. It’s a little crazy, but we’re making it work.

As my last post said (yes, the one from, like, 2 ½ weeks ago), I started selling Premier Designs jewelry just after the first of the year. That’s my newest adventure, so I’ll write about it first… My training party was just fantastic! I couldn’t have asked for a better night or a better group of women to share it with! When all was said and done, I had 16 supportive, thoughtful women there to cheer me on in my new venture and my sponsor, Renee, was just awesome! It was so fun seeing all these women from different areas of my life come together in one room; family from out of town and family from in town, friends from church, Bunco ladies, flight attendant friends, teacher friends, fellow mommies… amazing! And about 8 of those women agreed to hold a Home Show for me in the next few months, which was great! I had my very first Home Show last Saturday night and surprisingly enough, I wasn’t nervous at all. The show went well, the hostess had enough sales to qualify for several bonuses and the hostess incentive of the month, which is 50% of her show’s total in FREE jewelry. We closed out her show last night and she earned $404.50 in FREE jewelry- unbelievable! I have 3 more Home Shows in the next week, and I’m really looking forward to spending time with all those fun women, talking about beautiful jewelry! The great part about my third job is that it doesn’t really feel like a “job” at all. So nice.

As for job number 2, subbing, I’ve been keeping pretty busy with that as well. Flying has replaced subbing as my number one priority, so I’m not subbing as much as I was in the fall, but I’m still working about 90% of the days that I am available for. I’ve even had to learn how to say “no” sometimes, which has been tough for me to do, but ultimately it’s the best thing for my mental and physical health, as well as for our family. The occasional day off at home while the kids are at preschool and Rick is teaching is ALL I need to feel caught up around the house and refreshed. I still sub a majority of the time at Rick’s school, which is nice. I love being in a familiar building filled with friendly faces. Today and tomorrow, I’m subbing for the librarian, which is relaxing… also why I have time to actually blog. No classes to actually teach (except journalism one of the days), and down time to get things done. Such a treat. (Although I feel really guilty, because Rick is down the hall teaching 3 classes today and barely has a voice… maybe we should have switched spots today!)

So, job number 2 is good, and so is job numero uno- flying. After nearly a year of barely flying, or not flying at like while I was student teaching, I’m back to flying my full schedule of 3-4 trips a month. That roughly adds up to 10-12 days of flying, and so far it has been working out really well. Flying is where the “real” money comes from, if we were comparing all three of my jobs side-by-side, so it was important for us to put flying back at top priority this year. Student loan repayments and full-time daycare/preschool can really add up… :) I don’t regret having the kids go full-time to child care, because it allows for the amazing flexibility for all my jobs AND they love all of their teachers and friends. They are learning so much more than I would have time to teach them right now, so I’m grateful that they enjoying going so much.

Tyson cracks us up every night when he comes home with new information he’s learned at school… last night, he told us about the vines (veins) in his eyes and all over his body and how his heart is the train station and all his vines (veins) are the train tracks. Awesome. I think he’s drawn to the sciences in some way, because he’s constantly sharing with us all the fun stuff he learns in P.E./Health class. Riley continues to LOVE math and finds patterns in all areas of life, like if we’re sitting boy, girl, boy, girl at the table for dinner, for example. Cooper is in the midst of a language explosion that we are enjoying SO much. I have a blog post in the works filled with words I’m going to miss when the kids grow up and there are several from Cooper’s mouth that we just love!

There you have it, my currently crazy existence, wrapped up in one blog post- probably enough words and information for 3 or 4 posts, but who knows when I’ll find time to sit down and do this again! Flying, subbing, jewelry Home Shows… I also forgot to mention Blazer’s games that Rick and I have been attending (together and separately with friends), Bunco once a month, Riley’s dance class each week, and our date nights. As always, feeling very blessed. And surprisingly well rested. :)

Premier Designs Jewelry

2011-01-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

I know, I know... I need another job like I need a hole in the head. But, I have gone out and gotten myself a third job. Flying for Southwest, substitute teaching, and now Jeweler with Premier Designs Jewelry! I have mailed out several letters to family and friends talking about my new career with Premier, but I also wanted to add some links and details here on the blog for further reference!

My Training Show will be held at our home a week from today, on January 8th, at 7pm. I hope to see many of my family and friends here to support me! For our address or more information on my Training Show, you can leave a comment on this blog post and I'll contact you. It will be a fun girls night out to try on jewelry, see Premier's great quality first hand, and socialize!

For more information on Premier's hostess plans, if you are interested in hosting a show, click here: http://www.premierdesigns.com/direct_sales_opportunity/hostessplan.php Between now and January 31st, as a hostess you will receive 50% of your show total in free jewelry, rather than the typical 30%!

For information on Premier's Golden Guarantee, click here: http://www.premierdesigns.com/direct_sales_jewelry/jewelry.php

And to receive a catalog and order directly from me rather than hosting a show, leave me a comment or send me an email at: brookethames@hotmail.com

My goal with Premier Designs is to earn money each month to off-set the student loans that have gone into repayment since November. I fell in love with Premier's jewelry back in September when I attended my first show, and discovered how much I could expand my limited wardrobe just by adding some quality pieces of jewelry. I would love to help you do the same with your own wardrobe, simply by adding some great necklaces, earrings, and/or bracelets!

I thank you all in advance for your support, prayers, and encouragement as I begin my career with Premier Designs!

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011!

2010-12-31T21:43:00.000-08:00

For a year that seems to have passed by in the blink of an eye, we really did fit quite a bit in! I thought it would be fun to go back and look through some blog posts from the past year- it was amazing how much I had forgotten about, which makes me thankful for the blog to keep track for me!

Here are some of our highlights:

Getting settled into the "new" house
Birthdays, birthdays, and more birthdays... we have a 4, 3, and 2 year old right now, and Rick and I celebrated 36 and 32, respectively
Student teaching
Kids starting a new preschool/daycare, and their continued excitement every single day when we drop them off
Vegas, Baby! (for Rick)
Another marathon... in the rain... lots and lots of rain
Disneyland with our own little princess, Riley
Eagle Crest
Cooper's vocabulary explosion
Family reunions, holidays, and family poker games
Tyson's love of school and his ability to retain so much information
Master's in Teaching
Blazer's games
New backyard
Substitute teaching
Riley discovering her love of math
Visits to the zoo, Children's Museum, park, splash pad, and other family outings
Many dates for Rick and I, including bowling, movies, golf, discovering new local hot spots, and an overnight stay in downtown Portland for our anniversary

I would like to say that I resolve to slow down in 2011, but considering the 3rd job I'm taking on (more on that soon), I'm going to resolve to be more organized instead! I think I'm going to need a better planner to keep everything straight! :)

Considering how much fun I had reliving 2010 by reading previous blog posts, I would also like to blog a little more in 2011- I can't think of a better way to keep track of such precious moments and memories.

Wishing you all blessings and happiness in the New Year to come!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-30T11:55:00.000-08:00

We had a fun, eventful couple of days over Christmas this year! We were able to squeeze in a quick trip to the Tri-Cities to visit my family, opening gifts and visiting with my dad and step-mom on the 22nd, and then doing the same with my mom, step-dad, grandma, sister, and niece on the 23rd. We forgot to bring the camera to my dad's, but were able to capture a few good pictures at my mom's.

I love this picture because it shows the boys coloring nicely at the eating bar, while my grandma is teaching the girls how to play Rummy in the background at the table. It was a very peaceful moment. :)

The girls giving us a concert- they sang "Jingle Bells"!

Gotta love cousins!

Cooper was MIA... but still a cute picture of siblings!

Rick and I during our break from opening gifts.
We let the kids open, sent them off to play, then had adult time to open gifts with a little less chaos!

We drove home on Christmas Eve and got some cute photos of the kids before tucking them in, so Santa could visit the house... and so Rick and I could START all of our wrapping! I usually don't like to be so last-minute, but between flying a couple of trips, subbing, and visiting the Tri-Cities, I literally had NO time before the night of the 24th... next year I will plan a little better! Hopefully.

We got zero pictures of all five of us in front of any tree... or any place for that matter. But, we managed to get some great ones of the kids... after much wrestling with our squirmer (aka Cooper).

The kids opened their matching footie pajamas right before bed.

Before Santa's arrival...

And after...

We had a great morning!

I think she liked it... :)

Cooper put every bow on his head... and he carried around a bag of fruit snacks all morning... apparently we could have just gotten him fruit snacks and he would have been super happy!

Round 4 of presents with Rick's family...

All the guys and their matching Santa shirts... except David, who I'm sure will get one next year from Debbie!

And finally, the prize for the most creative gift goes to David who found a way to get that crazy bronze deer into our house. It's a running joke with the Thames family, it was Doris and Cecil's and nobody seems to want it, but nobody wants to get rid of it either! Now we just have to figure out how to pass it along! :)
Cooper seemed to like it though!

2010 Christmas Letter

2010-12-27T00:23:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I'll try to find time in the next day or two to post some photos from our whirlwind trip to the Tri-Cities to see my family, and from our Christmas celebration here at home.

Here is our Christmas letter for 2010:

Where does the time go? Life seems to be passing at warp speed lately, leaving 2010 as a big blur in our rearview mirror…

Riley turned 4 in February and is in her second year of preschool. She loves everything to do with school; her teacher, friends, art projects, and has taken a special interest in all things math- just like her Daddy! Riley is constantly praised by her teacher for being extremely helpful in the classroom and most recently for showing compassion and encouragement towards a girl in her class with special needs. She also began a combination dance class in September, where she learns ballet, tumbling, and tap for an hour each Saturday morning. Riley is an amazing big sister and we couldn’t be more proud of our young lady with a big heart!

Tyson also celebrated a birthday in February, turning 3, and began his first year of preschool in the fall. He also really enjoys school and retains information like a sponge! He constantly makes us laugh with his big imagination and amazes us with the knowledge he brings home from school- like telling me the bones in my body after learning them on Bob Bones at school! He is equal parts shy and outgoing, and he can charm the socks off of most anybody just by flashing his smile. We’re not sure if we should worry about this yet or not!

Cooper is all boy and has found his inner mischief-maker since turning 2 in early November! He has mastered the smile and what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it look while doing something he knows he is not supposed to, which has been fun! Cooper began full-time daycare in the fall at the same preschool his siblings attend, so he is getting a chance to make friends, do art projects, and learn, just like his big sister and brother. He loves playing with his cars and Legos, and especially loves to follow Tyson’s lead, which isn’t always a good thing! We look forward to watching Cooper learn and grow in the year to come!

Rick continues to teach sixth grade at Alice Ott Middle School, a position he loves and we are thankful for. With so many school budget cuts on the horizon, there seems to be a little more stress involved with teaching, but Rick takes it in strides. Even after nearly 14 years of teaching, Rick still works hard to make curriculum interesting and relevant to his students, which is what makes him such a wonderful teacher! Over the summer, Rick and his friend Aaron, were able to enjoy a few days in Las Vegas- a well deserved vacation! We also have a quarter share of Trailblazer’s season tickets, which we have been enjoying!

I took a break from flying at the beginning of 2010 in order to complete four months of student teaching and complete my Master’s of Arts in Teaching in May. It was a great way to end the four-year journey to become a certified teacher, although the timing couldn’t be worse to try to enter the education field! So, I have spent the better part of the school year substitute teaching, I’ve even spent a few days in Rick’s classroom! I also try to fit in trips with Southwest when possible. I have come to rely heavily on my planner in order to keep my schedule straight! I also completed my second consecutive Portland Marathon in October, this time in the pouring rain. I didn’t improve on my time from last year, which was my goal, but I figure completing it soaking wet is something to be proud of!

As a family, we have enjoyed our new house over the past year, including yard renovations we had done in late spring. We love being a part of the Happy Valley community, and we have enjoyed getting to know the families in our neighborhood. Rick and I also took Riley to Disneyland in July, where she got the full Princess treatment! We can’t wait to take the boys in the future, when they are little taller to enjoy all the rides.

We look forward to finding out what 2011 has in store for us! Wishing you all a very happy and healthy holiday season, and many blessings in the New Year!

Love,

Rick, Brooke, Riley, Tyson, & Cooper

Santa Claus Came to Town!

2010-12-18T22:01:00.000-08:00

For the second year in a row, we attended a neighborhood Christmas party where Santa Claus made a special appearance! The kids were so excited... well, except maybe Cooper, who wanted nothing to do with the Big Guy! Even though he arrived on an actual sleigh!

Santa and His sleigh!

Cooper being comforted by Daddy!

And then crying when he got too close...

Tyson asked for a Transformer that actually shoots laser beams... we'll see about that one!

He got a Doodle Pro instead... so did his little brother!

Riley was super excited to meet Santa!

And also super excited for the My Little Pony she got!

Then the family shot...

Getting from A to B

2010-12-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

How do you commute to work??

Drive a car?

Ride a bike?

Or simply walk down your stairs?
(I'm a little jealous of this one!)

I commute to work (well, to one of my jobs at least) by airplane. I live in the Portland area and I commute back and forth to Oakland for my job with Southwest. Not always ideal because I am a slave to the flight schedules, which means I can often sit in Oakland for up to 3 hours waiting for my check-in or waiting for a flight home. I miss out on precious time at home.

On my commute down this morning, I started to look at the brighter side of sitting on an airplane or sitting in a lounge waiting, and waiting, and waiting. I rarely just sit these days, even at home, so sitting on a 2 hour flight to Oakland has given me a chance to get things done that I neglect at home... like Christmas cards, for example. Or reading a good book, catching up on Netflix movies, challenging my mind with a crossword, or simply sit and listen to music.

So, what do you get done on your commute? I know it's impossible to do all the things I am able to do on your own commute, but I hope you can at least find a way to use the time for something productive or relaxing!

The good news is, I will actually get our Christmas cards out on time this year- Christmas letter and all! They could have been out a few days ago, sans letter, but I decided to hold out. One little flight down to Oakland and I have all envelopes stuffed, stamped, and addressed, AND I have a letter written! (I am patting myself on my back you read this... )

Preschool Art

2010-12-14T21:20:00.000-08:00

With all three kids attending preschool/daycare full-time, we see a lot of artwork coming home in their backpacks... A LOT! (Shhh... don't tell the kids, but I just recycled a ginormous pile of it... nothing important, I promise.)

We have files started of the "to keep" artwork, and the following pictures have definitely earned their way into Riley's file!

This one made us laugh!

And this one made me excited for the first snow!

And the stockings were hung...

2010-12-13T13:47:00.001-08:00

Our new stockings... complete with FREE monogramming from Pottery Barn!

I have since added a new tree topper to the tree... maybe we'll get better (i.e. not from a cell phone camera) photos of the tree as Christmas gets a little closer.

Now if I could just finish my shopping and wrapping to fill the tree up underneath...

Baby Gauge comes to town...

2010-12-07T20:38:00.000-08:00

... oh yeah, and my brother and Lauren came too.

They were literally at our house to sleep (less than 10 hours, I think), then got up early so Bryan could attend a training. The kids saw them all for about 15 minutes at 7am, before preschool, but they are still talking about it!

They just love their youngest cousin.

Gauge got a lot of lovin' in that 15 minutes!

Thanksgiving cont. (finally...)

2010-12-07T20:24:00.000-08:00

I have been a blogging slacker lately... I know.

Here are a few pictures from Thanksgiving - our first in the "new" house. Some of my family came down from the Tri-Cities and we hosted some of Rick's family as well.

I cooked my very first turkey... I was nervous. Rick carved his first turkey... he wasn't so worried.

The food was great, the company was wonderful, and we had (and have) so much to be thankful for! Riley even said the prayer before we ate... I wish I would have recorded it, she was just so sweet and well-spoken.

Of course, the "kiddie table"!

Randy and Jim doing the dishes... everyone contributed to the day, it was so nice!

We are so blessed!

Gobble, Gobble

2010-11-25T23:45:00.000-08:00

Hoping you and yours had a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Photos and more on our big day coming soon...

2 year stats

2010-11-12T09:55:00.000-08:00

Cooper is quickly making it clear that he is going to be known as the "younger" brother and not the "little" brother... At the rate he's growing, he'll be taller and/or outweigh is older siblings by his 3 year check-up!

Height: 2' 11.75" (82%)

Weight: 30 lbs (73%)

Head Circumference: 19.61" (78%)

Just to compare weight... Riley is only weighing in around 34 lbs and Tyson 35 lbs. They are all within 5 pounds of one another. :)

School pictures 2010

2010-11-11T11:57:00.000-08:00

The kids had their photos taken at preschool/daycare a few weeks ago. So happy they were able to get a great one of all three of them together- such a rarity!

Riley, 4 years and 9 months

Tyson, 3 years and 9 months
(I had to bribe him to sit still and smile... next year I will not be volunteering on picture day, I think he would have done much better if I hadn't been there!)

Cooper, 2 weeks shy of 2 years old.

Flying with the Stars!

2010-11-10T08:36:00.001-08:00

Look who I had on my flight between Los Angeles, CA and Phoenix, AZ last Friday...

Yep, that's Mark Ballas, of Dancing with the Stars fame!

And it looks like he and Bristol Palin are safe for another week... must've been my "Good luck on Monday!" after our picture. :)

Party time!

2010-11-02T12:55:00.000-07:00

Cooper enjoyed a low-key birthday celebration last night with family to kick off his third year of life!

The birthday boy with brother and sister before preschool.

Cooper enjoyed opening all of his presents...

Riley picked out these Matchbox cars for Cooper... they were a big hit!

She even received a thank you hug from the birthday boy!

He got so excited about everything...
(This might be one of my favorites!)

The cake... tasted yummy (Rick baked it!), but plain (I decorated it). :)

We try to sneak in as many family photos as we can... even if it means bribing the kids to stay still. They'll thank us someday!

Aaaaaannnd... we're done!
Cake and present overload finally took it's toll!

All in all, a perfect day for such a special little boy!
Special thanks to uncles, an aunt, cousins, siblings, and grandparents from the Tri-Cities for making the evening such a big hit!

The birthday boy!!

2010-11-01T23:19:00.000-07:00

Look who turned 2 today!

More birthday photos to follow...

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T20:14:00.000-07:00

Another successful Halloween is in the books for the Thames family, and the kids had a blast! It was our first Halloween in our "new" house, so we were looking forward to trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. On Friday, we received an invite to join some of the families we have gotten to know on the street for a little pre-trick-or-treating gathering. The kids got a chance to play with a few of their friends from preschool who happen to live near us, and Rick and I got a chance to get to know some of the parents a little better. After a couple hours of socializing and eating, we made our way down the street, filling candy buckets as we went...

All three kiddos
Cooper as a pirate, Riley as Cinderella, and Tyson as Buzz Lightyear (again!)

We recycled costumes this year... Riley wore her Cinderella dress from our Disneyland trip this summer and she loved it!

Tyson really wanted to be Buzz Lightyear again, thankfully the costume still fit him... just a little short in the pants!

Cooper was able to wear a pirate dress-up costume that Tyson received last year for Christmas... this is his "cheese" face that we got in nearly every picture! :)

Walking to the neighbor's house

The hostess was nice enough to get a family photo for us.
(To check out the family photos from the two previous years, click here... I was overdue pregnant with Cooper in one of them.)

Our first stop...

Checking out the loot... we let them each have one before bedtime.

And the very few decorations I actually put out this year were all in the kitchen.

A couple of weeks ago, we carved a pumpkin as a family... here are a few pictures from that evening. Unfortunately we carved about a week too early and our little guy molded way too and did not survive to see Halloween. Live and learn for next year, right?

Our finished product...

Tomorrow is another big day around here... Cooper turns 2!!
Stay tuned for pictures from his big day!

A Sea of Orange

2010-10-16T15:31:00.000-07:00

Today was THE perfect northwest weather for visiting the pumpkin patch, so of course we couldn't resist!
(Warning: Photo overload ahead!!)

The almost-birthday boy!

This girl has a eye for good lookin' pumpkins!

Look, there is something very important over there!

Tyson had a blast running in and out of all the pumpkins!

Our little helper, loading the wheelbarrow!

More running from Tyson.

I can't wait for the days when it's easy to get a good picture of all three kiddos together!

Riley had fun running all round the hay bales.

I love fall!
Especially on beautiful, crisp, sunny days like today.
Thank you Leipold Farms for a fun afternoon!

How did you spend 10-10-10?

2010-10-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

I spent the day taking a wet, soggy 26.2 mile stroll around downtown Portland!

For some reason, last year when I completed the Portland Marathon, I felt this strange urge to put my body through all that pain and torture again... What was I thinking?? I had the best of intentions to improve on my 5:05:57 time from last year, so I registered for the race in March to give myself the motivation to train smarter and come in under 5 hours. Then student teaching kicked my butt a little harder than I thought it would, and I didn't pick a great training program or stick with one as I did last summer. These excuses and a laundry list of many more resulted in me being under-trained and very nervous to run on Sunday morning. But I got out there, had as much fun as you can while running 26.2 miles in a complete downpour, and I'm so thankful for the experience! Apparently, even with all the rain we have here in Portland, it has only rained for 2 previous marathons (out of 38)... lucky us!

My sister, Robyn, came to Portland to watch the kids so that Rick could be on the course throughout the run this year, which was wonderful! He met up with me around miles 1, 5, and 11, then he was there to cheer me on as I came up the hill to finish. I am so thankful to have an amazing sister who loves and cares for our kids when needed, and I am incredibly lucky to have such a supportive and loving husband!!

Here is a photo Rick snapped around mile 5... notice how wet my hair (even with a hat on) and the road is! When I say it was raining, I mean raining!

Me at the finish line... of course, it had stopped raining around mile 24, so it actually looks sunny out in this picture!

Another kick-butt finishers t-shirt that I will wear with pride!

I came home to this wonderful sign Robyn and the kids made for me!

I finished this year's run in 5:23:49... a lot slower than I did last year and much slower than my goal time, but I finished stronger than I did last year. I decided after the first 5 miles (when I realized I was at least 3 minutes behind my goal time with 21 miles still to go) and all the wetness that I wasn't going to be too hard on myself. I was running in the freakin' rain for goodness sake! The consensus around the start line was that pretty much all of us had avoided running by choice on such rainy days... maybe I won't be so afraid of it anymore! I actually took a picture of my feet when I took my soaking wet socks and shoes off, but I decided not to post it... lets just say they were very white and wrinkly, and I'm thankful they didn't get injured in any way!

As for my marathon future, I think I will be taking a couple years off to focus on improving my running speed/endurance in shorter distances. I would love to run several more 10k's and half marathons, then revisit the full marathon... maybe 2013?? See what my body can do then at 35! I know I have a sub-5 hour performance in me somewhere! :)

Goodbye get-together

2010-09-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

The entire Thames family (sans David) got together last Saturday night to say goodbye to Michael and Sarah (our nephew and his wife). They are moving east to help Sarah's mom as she battles breast cancer, while Sarah's dad is deployed beginning in January. Busy lives and full schedules usually prevent the family from getting together regularly, so it was great to have (almost) everyone here, even if it was for such a sad occasion.

Sarah having fun with the kids!

Tim & Debbie's whole family, including significant others

And without significant others

Michael (nephew) & Sarah

Aren & Jamie (niece)

Jonathan & Emma (niece)

Ryan & Melissa (niece)

The brothers and the Debbies :)

Tim & Debbie

Randy & Debbie

We wish Michael and Sarah all the best and very safe travels as they hit to road today!

Tiny Dancer

2010-09-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

Riley started dance classes last Saturday, a little combo class with 20 minutes each of ballet, tumbling, and tap. She was so excited and just looked adorable! The first week is the only class that they leave the curtain open for parents to watch, and of course I forgot the good camera- thank goodness for cell phone cameras! The photos I captured are a little grainy from zooming in, but better than nothing!

The whole class introducing themselves to the teacher

Doing some stretches!

And waiting her turn to tumble. :)

Pints to Pasta 2010

2010-09-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

Rick and I completed our first 10k yesterday, Pints to Pasta- Rick had never done any race before and I had never done a 10k. It was the perfect first race to complete together!

The race began at the Adidas campus (pictured above), we ran past the Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., across the beautiful Broadway Bridge, along the waterfront, and ended up at the Old Spaghetti Factory. It was a crisp morning as we waited at the starting line, listening to the sounds of slamming port-a-potty doors and staying warm by holding cups of coffee.

Here we are on the Adidas soccer field (turf), after doing a few warm ups.

Now, although I have been running for years and love to do races, I am in NO WAY fast or competitive (except with myself and my own times). This past summer, Rick and I were able to run together a few times and he definitely leaves me in his dust! He's just a natural runner (in my humble opinion), so we made a point to cross the start line together and then agreed to meet up again at the finish line. I certainly didn't want to hold him back in his first race ever!

I'm so proud of how well he did!

A view of the starting line (the balloon arch) and the crowd of people waiting to begin!

Just minutes to go!

Getting ready to enjoy the Widmer Brothers beer and Old Spaghetti Factory pasta at the finish line and sporting our cool new t-shirts!

My personal goal was to complete the race in less than 1 hour- I came in at 56:15! An average of 9:03 per mile. (VERY proud of that, considering I'm usually a slow and steady sort of girl.) Rick crossed the finish line just about 4 minutes before me at 54:19, averaging 8:25 per mile... amazing for a first-timer! Something we thought was funny... out of 878 male runners, Rick placed 416th. Out of 1650 female runners, I placed 415th. And I love the fact that females outnumbered male runners 2 to 1!

And a little side note: As we entered the gates for the beer line, there were ladies there stamping hands to get beer. I walked up first and the lady stamped my hand... right behind me was Rick and she says to him, "Hmm, I need to see your ID." Nobody around us, not me... Rick. So, I said, sort of fake shocked/pouting, "Really? Him but not me? He's 4 years older!" She looked right at me and said, "Yep." OUCH!!!

Do I really look that much older than him??? I know he looks young, we get carded all the time, and Rick got carded constantly in Las Vegas last month. But apparently I'm aging horribly now and Rick can pass as a high schooler/early college student! Does this make me a cougar??? :) I have to say, stuff like that normally wouldn't bother me, like neither of us getting carded... but for some reason I was super-bummed. I've been researching Botox all morning... (not really).

I think we'll be making this race a yearly tradition!
Next year, come and join us!

First Day of School 2010

2010-09-07T07:29:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again!

This morning...

Rick was off to meet 32 new eager sixth graders on the first day of the new school year!

Riley begins her second year of preschool and is pretty excited to be moving downstairs in the building... the big time! She's been singing about her new teacher, Teacher Valerie, and the Lavender Room all weekend. :)

Tyson is beginning his first official day of preschool, even though he's been going all summer... he looked so handsome and grown up! He'll be hanging out in the Red Room with Teacher Ashley!

Cooper will also be in a classroom all day, everyday at the preschool. He seems to really love it, and he comes home with all sorts of artwork! He gets Teacher Karin!

Best shot of all three of them, after failed attempts on the stairs, couch, and in the entry way. :)

And love this one with Riley doing one of her new favorite "poses" and Cooper doing his "cheese" face!

As for me, on this first day of school... I will be off flying the friendly skies, not welcoming new students for the school year. Although I would have loved to begin my teaching career this year, it's a very tough, competitive time for the few teaching positions available. So, I'll be doing a balancing act this year, splitting my time between flying and substitute teaching. Should be interesting. I can only hope for some sort of long-term subbing position so I can be home every night and get some great teaching experience in the process!

Appropriate for Oregon, it was raining this morning... The kids were trying to smile, but couldn't because of the rain. And they were very distracted by every puddle between the van and the front gate!

Our last couple of weeks...

2010-08-23T20:10:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy and eventful summer! This is a random catch-all post of the pictures from the past couple of weeks with the Thames family.

First off, a couple of pictures of Cooper from mealtime... Man, I love this kid, and his crazy hair!

The grumpy.

And the happy!
(This is the face you get when you ask for "Cheese!!" :)

We have visited the Happy Valley Park splash pad a few times, here are a few photos from our time there:

One the 14th of August, we traveled to the Tri-Cities for a Burt Family Reunion at my dad's house. The last time we all got together like that was about 5 years ago! It was so fun to see everyone, and it's amazing how big that side of the family is- there were about 57 people there, all family in some way or another!!

Grandma Gayle was smart and set up a kiddie pool area for the youngest kids, which included Cooper. Luckily, he was a happy little camper! He had a wading pool and sprinkler almost all to himself!

Meanwhile, the "bigger" kids go to enjoy the pool!
Like niece, Cassidy.

Tyson even got brave enough to try the diving board- as long as someone was waiting to catch him! (like my Aunt Nancy!)

Riley had a great time in the pool, too!

My dad was busy at the BBQ, as usual!

The kids are super-lucky, because both sets of grandparents in the Tri-Cities have pools in their backyards! So, we got in some pool time at Grandma and Grandpa Wicks' house as well.

Cooper was having fun with Daddy. He would count, "One, two, three, go!" and slip into the water- so brave!

We spent time making s'mores and building a very cool birds nest...

We also got to meet our newest cousin/nephew, Bryan!

Proud Aunt!
And proud Dad!

After our AMAZING family pictures, which you can view here, we promised the kiddos a night swim... which they thought was pretty cool!

And then the post-swim/photo session hangover set in... they were very ready for bed! :)

Our last day in town was spent packing up, visiting the park briefly, and swimming. One last attempt at enjoying "summer" weather, since it seems to have left the Portland area already!
Here are a few pictures from our park visit:

It is sad to think another summer has pretty much come to an end. Rick's first "official" day back at work is next Tuesday, and the weather has not been summer-worthy around here for a while. Rick has been helping me with the daunting task of applying for teaching jobs, which has proven to be more stressful and time-consuming than I ever thought it could be! :)

Luckily, fall in the Pacific Northwest happens to be my most favorite time of the year, and it just happens to be right around the corner!

off-roading with arizona lewis

2010-08-17T22:08:00.000-07:00

this is arizona lewis... aka heather.
tyson thinks she's pretty awesome.
so do i.

arizona lewis takes amazing pictures.

heather was a cheerleader with me in high school.
she stood behind me, to the right for two years on the football field, and she made me laugh a lot.
she's still pretty freakin' funny.
we reconnected via blogs/facebook a while back. (because who hasn't, right?)
since then i have been living vicariously through her exciting arizonalewis.blogspot.com life.

tuesday night, we rendezvoused in a little orchard off olympia street in kennewick, washington for a photo shoot.
rick pointed out how funny it was that she now lives in arizona, we live in oregon, and yet we were in washington for the pictures.

i can't say enough about what a pleasure it was to have her take our photos.
she picked two beautiful settings.
we got down and dirty- literally.
we even did a little illegal off-roading.
so worth it.

see for yourself.
and brace yourself... i have a hard time picking "favorites", so there are a lot of pictures.

this was our next setting... hence the off-roading.

love this one!

arizonalewis, thank you, thank you, thank you for such a wonderful picture-taking experience.
i was genuinely (and unnecessarily) stressed about it for weeks and everything came together swimmingly.

we love them all, a little too much.

A healthy dose of chaos

2010-08-05T13:45:00.000-07:00

Having three beautiful children in just under 3 years brings a fair amount of welcomed craziness to our lives here at the Thames house, but adding three more kiddos for a few days brought it to a whole new level! One of my very best friends, Courtney, was able to pack up her three kids on Sunday and come visit me from the Tri-Cities, while Rick packed up for a four day adventure in Las Vegas with his friend, Aaron, beginning on Monday.

Courtney, the kids, and I spent 3 days playing around the house, going to the park, battling the dreaded bedtime routine, doing multiple head counts, and visiting the Oregon Zoo. All in all the kids did really well together, especially considering they had never really spent any extended amount of time together before this visit. Court pointed out one day that we almost had a kid at every age: Grady (6), Sydney (will be 5 in less than 3 weeks), Riley (4), Tyson (3), Justin (2), and Cooper (1)... how's that for a spread!

We wore the kids out on Monday and Tuesday- withholding naps and running them ragged at the splash pad and zoo respectively, helping make bedtime the second two nights not as bad as the first. So after the kids went down, Courtney and I were able to enjoy some great conversation, bowls of ice cream (her), wine (me), indulge in the season finale of the Bachelorette, and discover that we are both slightly obsessed with Glee... Ok, me more so than her, but I'm pretty sure she'll be close behind now that I let her borrow the first half of season 1 to catch up. :)

Riley and Sydney

We got an up close and personal view of the polar bear's backside!

Tyson was enthralled with the mechanical dinosaur on display at the zoo...

And ever since Disneyland, Riley has become quite the poser in pictures... for this one, she found the flowers, asked me to take a "pretty picture" of her in front of them, then proceeded to pose like she was showing off her glass slipper. :)

Cooper was asleep in the stroller for the next two...

Definitely one of my favorite shots from the whole visit... all SIX kiddos lined up having a snack at the zoo. :)

Getting some air on the "jumpoline" as Justin calls it! :)

Running around chasing each other...

The youngest two boys filling the lawn mower with gas...

And another cute picture of the girls...

I am so glad we all got a chance to hang out... although next time I think Courtney and I will try it without the kids. :)

Rick arrives home from Vegas tonight and the kids are so excited to see him! It's fun to have the tables turned, with Rick doing the solo traveling and me staying home with the kids. This is one of the pictures I sent to him while he's been gone so the kids could say hello!

It sounds like Rick and Aaron found some fun things to do, including a David Copperfield magic show and some comedy. I think I am most jealous of his visit to the Hoover Dam!
I love modern cell phone technology... Rick and I were able to share pictures with each other and use FaceTime on our phones so the kids could see and talk to him a few times. We're looking forward to having him home again tonight!

More Disneyland... finally!

2010-08-04T20:39:00.000-07:00

Between working, applying for some teaching/sub jobs (which included writing a Philosophy of Education and answering a few other in-depth questions), Rick traveling to Las Vegas for a 4-day much deserved vacation, and my friend Courtney coming to visit with her 3 kids... obviously the blog has been seriously neglected!

But, here are some more pictures from our Disneyland trip. Crazy enough, this isn't the last of them... hopefully it won't take another week to get them posted. :)

Here is the rest of Day 2 and Day 3... with a lot of focus on Riley's autograph book!

After the princess treatment, which is really exhausting, Riley napped while Rick and I walked around enjoying California Adventure

Then we woke her up to meet Mickey...

... and have lunch here...

Riley was VERY excited to finally meet Ariel.

She knows enough from our Disney World pictures from 2 years ago that we did not get to meet Ariel, and she was pretty convinced that Ariel only lives at Disneyland and not at Disney World.

The rest of the meal we were treated to visits from all the other princesses... except Cinderella of course, which is the one princess we were hoping to meet.

We were on a quest to meet Cinderella, so we made our way to the Princess Fantasy Faire near Toontown where we listened to Jasmine do story time, learned how to dance like a princess, and finally got to meet Cinderella!

The next morning we set out for Toontown in search of Mickey and Minnie! But, not without leaving Princess (Riley's Build-a-Bear bunny) all set up. :)

We found almost all the perennial favorites... and played in their houses!

It cracks me up how well her hair survived the night!

Playing Goofy's piano!

"Hello?!"

We even found Jasmine again, this time she was hanging out with Aladdin!

Day 3 came to an end with a visit to the pool and World of Color- which we LOVED!!!!

Like the pose?? And hair??

Appropriate to get a picture in front of the "R", right?

This was our view as we waited to see World of Color, California Adventures new water/light show.

Afterward, we got some yummy ice cream...

... and this is what ice cream at 11pm does to our daughter. :)

Coming soon: The final Disneyland pictures, and photos from our fun visit with the O'Niel's!

The Making of a Princess

2010-07-24T10:39:00.001-07:00

How to make a Princess...

The perfect place... the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique

A happy little girl with a warm heart

A pretty dress

A prince to put on your glass slipper

A wand doesn't hurt either

A fairy godmother-in-training

The perfect hair

A tiara (and pretty smile)

Pretty nails

A little make-up

A rock for your finger

A little sparkle on your face

Some magical glitter

A "big reveal" in the mirror :)

Some friendly animals

A ride in a carriage

And a castle doesn't hurt either

There you have it... the making of a princess!
She had such a fun time!

More to come on our Princess-packed second day at Disneyland!

Disneyland 2010: Day 1

2010-07-21T21:44:00.001-07:00

Day 1 was all about saying goodbye to the boys, revealing the big surprise to Riley, air travel, and Riley seeing Disneyland for the very first time... it was a wonderful day!

The breakfast of champions! :)

This is how excited she was... about Disneyland and the airplane ride!

Waiting to leave.
(Please ignore the third-eye zit I'm sporting right between my eyes... in this photo and all others to follow. I really need to learn Photoshop!)

Chillin' on the plane, watching a Princess Tea Party Sing-a-long, cuddling with her Build-a-Bunny, Princess, and her princess blanket. :)

Goofy was waiting for us in the lobby of the hotel- that smile on her face is one of pure joy!

We're in the gates!

First stop... FOOD! First time trying out the Bear Country BBQ, and we were pleasantly surprised at how much we liked it. Except Riley, she wasn't really impressed. Our picky eater.

Riley found her favorite ride in the park on the very first day- It's A Small World!
She was just in awe!

And of course, we had to ride the carousel!

We found a great spot near Sleeping Beauty's castle to enjoy the fireworks... which were GREAT!!
Riley made it until about 5 minutes from the end of the show and then she was OUT on Rick's shoulder! Her 10 minute nap on the airplane apparently wasn't enough to carry her past 9:45pm!

We were only in the park about 6 hours the first day, but we were able to see and do quite a bit! Our biggest days were definitely yet to come!

Stay tuned over the next week for more pictures from our trip!

Princess Day

2010-07-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

We're back from our magical vacation to Disneyland, and I am still sifting through the hundreds (yes, hundreds!) of pictures in order to share some of the wonderful moments from our trip.

In the meantime, I thought you would enjoy a little photo shoot from the Princess Day we had today with Cassidy and Riley!

Hair, make-up, painted nails, dresses, and two beautiful little girls! Fun, fun, fun!

Cassidy before:

Princess Cassidy!

Riley before:

Princess Riley!

What cuties!

We had a little fun with the camera... I was hoping for sunny weather outside so we could take some pictures in the backyard, but I was actually cool and raining a little. So, the living room had to do!

And Riley decided to be both princesses... ;)

Look for Disney vacation photos in the next 24 hours!

And... we're off!!

2010-07-13T23:27:00.000-07:00

It's been nearly 2 months since planning our vacation to Disneyland, and we will finally be on our way in less than 12 hours! Riley still has NO IDEA where we are going, making this all the more fun. We've been spending most of our time focusing on Tyson and Cooper, and their exciting visit to their friends Rylan and Raegan's house. They also get to spend a few days with Aunt Robyn and Cousin Cassidy, so they're pretty stokes (well, mainly Tyson because Cooper is completely unaware of anything going on).

Tomorrow morning (Wednesday), we will drop the boys off at the Petersen's and head to the airport. Riley will be receiving a very special phone call around 10a.m. from none other than Mickey and Minnie Mouse! We're still not sure if we'll break the news to her before then or not, but either way I think she'll be pretty excited!

After a couple days of listening to all the fun the boys are going to have with their friends, aunt, and cousin, Riley finally looked at me on Monday and asked, "Where am I going?". When I explained she would be going to with Mommy and Daddy, the "Where are we going?" questions began. It's been fun to hear where she wants to go... mainly we've been hearing she wants to visit Grandma and Grandpa... only once did she actually say she wanted to go see Mickey Mouse... I quickly changed the subject! :)

We are all packed (well, except Rick, who likes to wait until the very last minute), lots of yummy meal reservations have been made, appointment at Bibbity Bobbity Boutique is on the schedule, and I can't wait. What can I say, I love all things Disney!

And apparently Saturday is the 55th Anniversary of the Disneyland opening, so there are a few special events going on... fun!

We are not bringing a laptop on the trip, only the iPad to watch movies on the flight, so I will have a TON to post about when we return early next week. Stay tuned! :)

The Thames Family

Stationery Card

Soccer Season

All Things "Punkin"

Cooper is 3!!!

Happy Halloween 2011!!

A camping we will go...

Our little kindergartener!

Viva Las Vegas

Independence Day 2011

Twinkle Toes

A list

Summer do'

Lemons into lemonade?

33 and 13.1

Last day of preschool!

Tyson's Amazing Surprise

San Diego: Day 3

San Diego: Day 1 & 2

"My doos!!"

Future van Gogh?

Mother's Day 11'

Snail Mail

Whirlwind

Feeling Frumpy...

Happy Easter!!

Girl's Night Out

Basketball Unicorns

New Jewelry Blog

April Specials from Jeweler Brooke Thames!

Respond in the comments section to be entered to win a $30 Gift Certificate towards jewelry of your choice! No minimum purchase necessary to use the Gift Certificate and it doesn’t expire until December 31st, 2011! Winner will be picked at random on April 1, 2011- no foolin’! :)

Respond in the comments section or email me with Catalog if you're interested in a catalog for individual purchases or a Catalog Show!

Respond in the comments section or email me with Home Show in the subject line and your contact information in the body of the email to get your Home Show on my calendar!

Fun with scooters

One of those days...

Happy 6 years to us!!

Catching up...

4 years old!

Goodness gracious, look who's 5!!

Shiner

A Weekend in Pictures

Tyson's 4th Birthday

Riley's 5th Birthday

I'm still here...

Premier Designs Jewelry

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011!

Christmas 2010

2010 Christmas Letter

Santa Claus Came to Town!

Getting from A to B

Preschool Art

And the stockings were hung...

Baby Gauge comes to town...

Thanksgiving cont. (finally...)

Gobble, Gobble

2 year stats

School pictures 2010

Flying with the Stars!

Party time!

The birthday boy!!

Halloween 2010

A Sea of Orange

How did you spend 10-10-10?

Goodbye get-together

Tiny Dancer

Pints to Pasta 2010

First Day of School 2010

Our last couple of weeks...

off-roading with arizona lewis

A healthy dose of chaos

More Disneyland... finally!

The Making of a Princess

Disneyland 2010: Day 1

Princess Day

And... we're off!!

Respond in the comments section to be entered to win a $30 Gift Certificate towards jewelry of your choice! No minimum purchase necessary to use the Gift Certificate and it doesn’t expire until December 31^st, 2011! Winner will be picked at random on April 1, 2011- no foolin’! :)