Jan 3, 2009

Highlights of 2008

I have finally found a way to post pictures. It has literally taken me 4 days to work on this posting, so EVERYONE better appreciate it. I do not know how to put them in the order I originally typed it but as you know my motto "Nothing goes as planned!!!"



The second grade classes took a field trip to the zoo. This is our friend Nezar. Michael and him took a summer basketball camp at O.E.S. during July. Both boys love basketball. Everyday after camp our boys were tired. They are getting ready to do basketball through the YWCA soon.
Future "Blazers"










This is JenE, JenE, JenE!!!! The horns are real!!! She is the one you can complain to about getting me started blogging.
This was at the "Harvest Party" at school. Her daughter Yesmin and Michael are in the same class this year. Funny thing is we met them waaayy back when the kids were I believe 3. They attended the same pre-pre-pre school classes. It was destiny that we would be friends!!!





Here is JenE, and our friend Abeer at the "Pumpkin Patch". We took the kids there for fresh autumn air, pumpkins, kettle korn and fun!!!



Here is our darling "angels", except where is Lucas??? It's Nezar, Michael, Yesmin and Danna.


My sister and my only niece came up in September for her 20 year high school reunion.
Michael and his cousin Amelia are only 8 days apart in age and so when we get together in the month of September we celebrate both kids birthdays. Amelia and Michael get along pretty good. She is mature enough to know that it's not worth it to get upset over the little things unlike her younger cousin Michael.

Aunt Stephanie and cousin Amelia went to school one day for lunch with Michael. He enjoyed showing them off.



Joint party with the family at Godfather's pizza!!!











One of Michael and I's favorite things to do together is head down to grandpa's beach house in Pacific City. We went at the end of summer for a few days. Michael is like me, he loves the beach, and ocean.
Other highlights were:

Last year this month the
Vancouver area had a tornado. Remember that?? My friend Tammy was caught right in the middle of it. She was not wearing her ruby slippers.
Michael spent a lot of days sick. He is one of those kids that hates missing school and getting him to stay home was so hard that I have stopped trying, plus he drives me nuts when he stays home. We kept him very busy with Bible club, guitar lessons, gymnastics, science classes, and art classes during the school year.
I volunteered at his school teaching scrapbooking for the after school clubs. That was interesting!!! My friend KT, KT, KT co-lead with me during one of the sessions. The other 2 sessions were not as fun, or as organized as when she was there. Since she moved away I will not be doing such crazy things again!!!

A big highlight of my year was my once a month "Scrapbooking" with my friend Mama Llama (Janet). We would try and scrap all day long. She could really knock the pages out while I shuffled my papers/photos and talked all day. I am giving up on the notion that I am a scrapbooker. It is now an excuse for me to get out of the house all day. I am addicted to all the pretty papers.


Michael and I went to Klamath Falls with my mom and her husband the week school got out. We spent time exploring, playing miniature golf and seeing Crater Lake. In the 36 years of being a resident of Oregon it was my first time to Crater Lake. It was beautiful!!!



After school got out Michael went to a church day camp which was so much fun for him. It was from 8 to 5 for a week at "Camp Tillikum". It was fabulous for all of my other girlfriends and I as we were child free. We spent the time making crafts, playing "Wii's" American Idol and just enjoying each other.

Several girlfriends and our kids went blueberry, and raspberry
picking. That is a fun thing with the kids. They helped pick, they ate the berries, and they found lots of snakes. My friend JenE, JenE, JenE loved that part!!! My friend Echo and I even made jam with the raspberries.
I hosted a couple of craft days at my house for some kids. I was really trying to come up with options for myself instead of traditional work.

My friend Angela who owns "Rose City Ceramics" taught a ceramic class for kids during the summer and Michael came home with several awesome art pieces.
I have to save a lot of money for this coming summer. Every camp or class Michael took he thoroughly enjoyed.

During the summer a couple of friends moved away. KT, KT, KT and her family moved back to Idaho. She is greatly missed here. Especially by JenE, JenE, JenE and I. She is a very creative, organized woman. I miss being able to steal her ideas to try and copy them.
A classmate from Michael's kindergarten class also moved away to Arizona. It's sad when people you like move away!!!
OK my computer is having a heart attack so I will continue with a new post!!!!
Yay for me, I figured a thing or two out!!!! There is hope for me!!!!










4 comments:

KatieB said...

So nice to see the familiar faces in your photos! Thanks for the nice comments. I miss crafting with you and Jenny so much! I hope to make a trip over your way this summer...if it works out, we'll have to spend some time together!
Happy New Year!
Katie

Jenny Tan said...

U go girl! I AM PROUD OF U! U even did it w/out my help!!! ;) Yup, we sure have fun picking those berries and SNAKES!...and the Pumpkin Patch. ....Oppps, we are planning a trip back to Malaysia this Summer...so, I MIGHT not be able to meet up w/ KT, KT, KT...depending on when she comes and when I leave/return! :( Oh dear, I'll miss berry picking too!!! Arrgghhh!!! Never mind, I'll have to pay Michael to pick for me...that'd be his Summer job! :P

Mama Llama said...

Hey Smarty Pants,
It's been quite the year! I'm so proud of you posting your pix. :-)

Don't sell yourself short on the scrapbooking...you scrapbooked two pages for my book in about 30 minutes! U go girl!
Mama Llama

Jenny Tan said...

Oh ya, BTW, thanks for posting my BEAUTIFUL photo w/ horns! ;P Remember I do have a very "pretty" photo of urs too! ;P I should keep that photo for ur profile!