Starting about last Sunday, December 13, 2008, we've seen an unprecendented amount of snow here in the Portland area. I've lived here for about 10 years, and have never seen this much. It usually snows at least once a year here, but it never sticks around for more than a day or so. Since snowstorms are so infrequent here, there aren't enough snowplows, sanders, and other road equipment, and people aren't used to driving safely in the snow (go slow, easy on the brakes, etc.), so the roads get WAY more hazardous than a few inches of snow should make them. That means everything shuts down - school was cancelled all week. I worked from home (though I could have gone in if I want to - Intel never closes for weather). Church was cancelled. It's kind of crazy. :-) I finally got out today and snapped some pictures with my "big boy" camera (Nikon D40), instead of the lousy iPhone shots I've been posting to Flickr all week. You can see all of the photos in this set. Here are a few, to give you an idea of what's been keeping up cooped up inside for a week. :-) The beginning of the Snowpocalypse:

Meltpocalypse on Thursday 12/18 (my birthday!)

Our backyard on Sunday 12/21:

View from the front porch:

8 inches on the Garbage Can:

Our car was clear yesterday - we ventured out. This is 1 day's snow and ice accumulation:

We're safe and warm in our house, got lots of supplies, and enjoying the Christmas tree, etc. Our biggest problem is a little cabin fever, so we're pretty grateful. It's looking like we'll get a White Christmas this year. We're planning on traveling to southern Oregon after Christmas, so I hope this stuff melts eventually! :-)

When we were down in Springfield over Thanksgiving, Sara asked me to take some photos of their family (she for some reason thinks I can take pictures - not sure where she got that notion ;-) ). We went to a cool little park in Eugene, and I took about 120 shots with my Nikon D40. There were about 40 "keepers" in that batch, and I've put them up on Flickr. You can view the whole batch of photos in this set on Flickr, watch it as a big slideshow there, or check out the smaller embedded slideshow below. Each of the photos is available full size, so if you're going to save or print any of these, make sure to click on the photo, click "All Sizes", and get the biggest size available, for best quality. Thanks to Sara and Clint and their girls for letting me play like a grown up real photographer - I had lots of fun! :-) Who knows? Maybe this is how I'll get "discovered", and launch my career as a pro photographer. ;-)

On Saturday Josh had a presentation to give at Central Library downtown, so we all went on a Family Fun Day adventure. We rode the train to the library and ate lunch at Pastini before Josh's presentation. After lunch, I took the kids to Finnegan's toy store where the kids played for a while and we spent a whopping 30 cents on stickers.  On the way home on the train, Emma quickly became friends with a couple of grandmas sitting next to us. She talked their ears off, if you can believe it. =) Soon everybody on the train car was listening to her and just cracking up. At one point she was telling the ladies about her favorite show, Word Girl. The conversation went something like this: Emma: "Do you know what redundant means?" Ladies (and everyone on the train): laugh "No, what does it mean?" Emma: "It's like when you say couch, sofa and futon." (as matter-of-factly as possible) everybody laughing on the train Ladies: "Well, you just taught us something today. You taught everyone on the train!" Mario the Mafia guy (a man on the train who was wearing a spiffy suit and his hair slicked back): "Hey, can I give you a dollar for teaching me something today? Hey, you taught me about that word. I didn't know that." Emma: speechless She accepted the coin, of course, and later when we got off the train, everybody said goodbye to her as she skipped off.

We gave Gabe a haircut tonight. We were all traumatized:

Go see this post on GadgetFamily.org for the whole story, and more pictures. :-)

HOLA FAMILIA!  Just wanted to publicly wish my AWESOME sister RACHEL a wonderful birthday.  She is a fabulous sister full of zest, spice, soul, happiness, love, compassion, silliness, and posative attitude!  Thanks for all the great talks, advice, and just listening to me rattle on.  Just wanted to leave you with this special birthday gift; Happy Happy Birthday Rachel dear, Happy Days will come to you all year. If I had a wish that it would be, A Happy Happy Birthday to you from ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was from the heart~Love ya sis! reb

Hi all!  I thought it was time for a family update (mostly just bragging about our adorable girls).  We had a crazy fun summer!  We welcomed a new childto our family in April.  It is a 2004 Reinell 18.5' ski boat.  Actually it is clint's baby.  We put about 40 hours on it this summer and will probably put a few more on it in the next few days. The girls call it "dad's rockin' party boat".  We camped a lot and when we weren't camping we were on a day trip somewhere.  I managed to keep the girls from getting their white skin fried.  Lauren is now in preschool, sunbeams, and swim lessons.  She is growing up fast and acting more like a big girl because she can make her own pb&j and pour her own chocolate milk.  She thinks she is twelve...no joke elyse.  She likes riding the tube behind dads rockin' party boat, riding g'ma's horse named Patch and riding her pink barbie bike around the neighborhood.  We will be putting her in gymnastics pretty soon too.  (Lauren is standing here next to me telling me what to type) Kara is totally engulfed in the terrible two's.  She is so unpredictable but I have learned to enjoy her happy time.  She is taking a dance class and swims with me on Wednesdays with Aunt Liz at Willamelane.  She lost most of her hair this summer (caused from her illness in February) and is all growing back in now and stands strait up like a fuzzy chick.  She enjoys coloring and playing with her barbie.  She also likes driving dad's rockin' party boat, riding Patch, and playing outside.  She thinks she is four like her big sister and pretty much does everything Lauren does.  As for Clint and I, we are just trying to keep up with everything.  I am always suprised at how busy life with just two kids can be.  Clint would love to take any and all of you on the boat.  He is a pro on the wakeboard.  The bikini chicks love it.  I started working on Friday's at a small office.  I still haven't decided if it is worth it or not.  So that's pretty much it.  I have a kazillion pictures to post, but on my pathetic dial-up computer it would take weeks to upload.  Sorry.  love you all and hope you are all doing well. 

Sorry about the grossness factor, but it was too funny.  So Jayden told me today before school that he put a fabric softener sheet in his underwear.  What?  He said that today at school he is going to try to fart and see if the softener sheet keeps the stink away when he farts.  Apparently he heard this from someone-uncles?  So he just came home and announced that the experiment did not work.  That stinks for those standing around him.  Another funny story, yesterday at sacrament meeting, we were passing the bread tray down and noticed a whole piece of bread on the tray.  Everyone pick pieces around the big one until Anyston picked the big one and thought she struck it rich.  We all giggled as reverently as possible, but it was truly a  funny moment.  YUM! So what is everyone else up to?  I'm kinda getting tired of hearing from myself! reb

Joe, are you jealous?  The first picture is of me (and my fat legs) skiing at Lake Billy Chinook this summer.  I can still ski after 6 kids.  Too bad I can't wake board for the life of me!!!!!  I attempted about 5 times then pulled my hamstring and had to give up!  Maybe next summer when I am 50 lbs lighter! Maybe Clint can help me out!

Brytlin is so sweet but loves to get dirty.  Yes that is a white dress, or used to be.

What's the deal?  I will admit that last nights Women's Gymastics All-around final had me choked up.  And I'm not even Prego!  That was a killer final and I loved every moment of it!  I really wanted Shawn Johnson to win simple because Nastia NEVER smiles.  She obviously is extreemly focussed which makes her seem cold.  Her coldness paid off though! So yesterday, during the 102 degree weather, I let the kids set up our tent since they have been dying to sleep outside.  Finally at 10 p.m. when it droped to 80 degrees, they went to bed, but sleep they did not.  During one of the 50 potty breaks, Payge screamed bloody murder after almost steping on a slug.  Then the little buggers made up some story about a spider in the tent, only to get a role of toilet paper to TP the back yard at 2 a.m.!  They finally went to sleep at 2:30 a.m.-now that's what I call fun.  Bring back memories?  They want to stay out there tonight, but someone needs to pick up the dog poop first.  Hot weather and dog poo does not mix.  EWWWE! Happy Summer! Reb