Thanksgiving Week Activities

Happy Thanksgiving!  It was a busy week for the Perry family, although we had a lot of fun and it was great to have several days together.  The week started off with a real good snow storm.  It was a welcomed sight for us because last year we saw so little snow.  Sam was anxious to do some shoveling.  She had a hard time getting the hang of it, but it was nice of her to try to help.

The weather turned bitter cold by Tuesday and the girls had a day off from school.  It was a challenge to keep them entertained because playing outside was not an option.  Unfortunately we all came down with colds during the week, too but we weren't going to let it stop us from having a yummy Thanksgiving dinner.  We sat around the table and told each other what we were thankful for and then we had our feast!

Here is Emma with a turkey drum stick.  Her eyes were DEFINITELY bigger than her stomach and she was only able to eat a fraction of it.

Pretty much all Samantha cared about were the croissants.  Who knew all I needed to make for her was bread and she would have been satisfied?  I shouldn't have bothered going to the trouble of making potatoes and casseroles and veggies.

By Thursday the weather had warmed up and we had another round of snow.  The girls took advantage of it and really enjoyed being outside.

On Friday we decided to put up the Christmas tree.  Traditionally, we wait until Emma's birthday in December to put the tree up but it seemed like the right time and it looks really beautiful now.  We love turning out the lights in the house and just sitting and enjoying our very pretty tree.

On Saturday morning we had yet another snow storm to conquer.  We made the trek out to the Festival of Trees here in town.  The children's choir was lovely and the trees were gorgeous.  And the girls even got to see Santa Claus which was a delight.  Unfortunately Samantha got stage fright and couldn't think of anything to tell Santa that she wanted for Christmas.  Is that a good sign?

By the afternoon it was STILL snowing so Daddy and the girls put on thier snow gear and spent time outside enjoying the weather.

And to finish out the day we went downtown to see the Christmas Tree lit up at the town square.  There was a short break in the weather  but by this morning we had several more inches of snow.  At least it was clear enough to see the pretty lights on the tree and do something in the community.

As always we have much to be thankful for this year - our family, our health, our home, and the list goes on and on.  We have our struggles and our trials but in the end we can sit back and recognize the daily blessings that we receive.  We hope that all of you enjoyed your Thanksgiving as much as we did.

Grandma

On November 9th my Grandma Peggy passed away pretty unexpectantly.  We always had a family joke that she had nine lives because she could be very ill and all of a sudden would recover and be better than she was before.  This was one of those same situations - she was in the hospital and she did perk up and seemed to be doing much better.  However a few hours later her body just gave up.  She passed away very peacefully with my mom and dad by her side.  I have been feeling guilty since her passing, wishing that I had called her that day to wish her well.  I should have visited more, called more often, sent more letters and cards.  Yesterday was her funeral and although she is gone, it ended up being a really wonderful day.  The service was beautiful and it was great to be able to visit with my aunts and uncles who we don't get to see very often.  I'm grateful to have had a grandmother who always loved her family.  I'm also grateful that my children were able to have a few shorts years with their great-grandmother.  We'll miss you!

Shoulder Surgery

For years now Mark has been living with really bad shoulder pain and electric shocks down his arm.  This past spring we began seeing an orthopedist in Boise to see if any relief could be given.  Some x-rays and a couple of MRI's later, the results were pretty inconclusive because the doctors really couldn't get any good pictures.  However, Mark's doctor recommended surgery and after praying about it we decided that it was what we should do.  So last week we went to Boise for a couple of days so Mark could have his shoulder taken care of.  We were a little nervous but everything went beautifully and we couldn't be happier!  The medical care he was given was outstanding and it ended up that the surgeon shaved 11 millimeters off Mark's bone and he was also able to clean up some arthritis that had set in.  I wish I had pictures to share, but Mark was a little camera shy, understandably so.  He's been doing really well - we are nine days post surgery and he is doing physical therapy and will be back to work full time tomorrow!  The girls spent a couple of days with Gramma and Grampa while we were out of town so we are certainly grateful for their help, along with aunts and uncles and cousins - we're very lucky to have family nearby. 

Leaves Everywhere!

Who doesn't love the fall season?  It's so beautiful to watch the colors changing around our valley, especially when you live in the mountains as we do.  Even when the leaves are falling, it's wonderful to know that the seasons are changing! There are a lot of trees around our home so we had LOADS of leaves to rake up.  One Saturday morning the girls and I raked a giant pile of leaves in our front yard.  They had the greatest time jumping in the pile and throwing the leaves around.  I couldn't resist taking some fun pictures of them!

There were so many leaves that they were literally buried in the pile.  Unfortunately we couldn't keep the leaves for very long because that weekend it started raining and it rained for several days.  So the leaves have gone away but at least we have these great pictures to remember our morning of fun!

Halloween Festivities

We tried to do lots of fun activities during the Halloween season.  We always make a trip to the pumpkin patch so the kids can get pumkins and go through the scary corn maze.  This year we went with our friends, the McIlmoils, and the girls really enjoyed themselves running around with their friends.

Here is Emma sitting on the Castle that was made out of bales of hay - so creative! 

For costumes this year, Emma was a Diva!  She had a lot of input and really liked putting her costume together.  The schools always do a parade with all of the classrooms so the parents can come and see their children.  Since our kids attend separate schools, I went to Emma's parade and Mark went to Samantha's parade.  It worked out just fine, except I didn't get any pictures of Samantha!  What a horrible parent I am!  I'll have to take a picture of her later just to show that she did have a costume and she went as a Karate Girl!  They also were able to wear their costumes the next night to our ward Chili Feed and Trunk-or-Treat that I was in charge of.  It was pouring rain and both girls were soaked to the bone, but they had a wonderful time and definitely filled their trick-or-treat bags.

Emma and Sam had no problem this year getting their hands dirty when it came to carving the pumpkin this year! 



Cousin Time

Emma and Samantha absolutely adore all of their cousins.  They have twenty-one first cousins and they would do just about anything to spend time with them.  A few weeks ago their cousin, Ashlynne, was in La Grande for a middle school volleyball game and we were able to go and watch Ash do her thing on the volleyball court.  We were super proud of her and she is always so nice to give lots of love to her younger cousins, even in front of all of her middle school friends. :)  The entire team sprayed green in their hair because it was their last game.  They were super cute.  Go Ashlynne!

Halloween Field Trip

One thing that I really enjoy doing is being able to volunteer in my daughters' classrooms at school.  On this particular day, Samantha's Kindergarten class was going to the Pumpkin Patch for a field trip.  I was lucky enough to come along as a chaperone.  We had a really nice time together and I had lots of fun watching Sam interact with her classmates.

Our Trip Home

This past weekend we made the trek home to my parent's house. We haven't been for a visit since the beginning of August and we were anxious to get out of town for a couple of days. We had a really wonderful time visiting with Mom and Dad as well as my sisters and brother and their kids. We love hanging out with all the nieces and nephews! A neighbor of ours gave us about fifty pounds of corn so we took a big box with us to share with everyone - this is a picture of the little ones helping Grampa shuck the corn for dinner! They are too silly.
Cute little Lillie was in need of her dinner so we got her in her high chair and little Jordan wanted to be a big helper so he fed Lillie her banana chips. He was quite proud of himself!

After dinner the adults sat around and visited with everyone while the kiddos all ran around and played. We all took turns holding Lillie but she especially loved sitting on Grampa's lap and playing with the water bottle.

On Saturday Mark and I were able to take a few hours away and go to the temple and get some shopping done. So the girls stayed with Gramma and Grampa and watched movies, did crafts, and played with cousins. Emma loves the Lincoln Logs and always makes interesting things.

Now we are home and it's back to real life - school and work and cleaning house and running errands. We are looking forward to our next visit!

Coupons and More Coupons!

About a year ago I started educating myself on the art of couponing! It has since become a big blessing to our family. Couponing has helped me have the ability to stock up on all kinds of products, try things that I never would have been able to afford, and to spend a little less on our groceries each month. There has even been a couple of times when I was actually PAID to buy groceries! Can you imagine? I like nothing better than going to the checkout lane and watching my price drop dramatically when I enter all of my coupons! My girls call me the "Krazy Coupon Lady" which, by the way, is the title of a coupon blog that I check religiously. One of the aspects of couponing that I enjoy is signing up for free samples! There are always lots of different samples that you can request and so now I look forward to the mail coming each day to see what goodies I have been brought! Last week to my utter surprise when I went to the mailbox I had loads of free things and free coupons! I had two laundry detergents, a protein/breakfast bar, shampoo and conditioner, and coupons for a free bottle of Advil, two free boxes of Triscuits, two free tubs of Cottonelle wipes, plus five other very high values coupons! And that was just on one day! Now I know that couponing isn't for everybody - it takes alot of dedication and research and requires good organization skills - BUT.... I'm hooked!

First Day of School!

Yay! The school year has arrived and we couldn't be happier about it! All summer long I kept thinking about how much fun I was having being at home with my girls and I was kind of dreading the start of school. But the girls were so excited that I tried to put on a brave face. :) Samantha has entered Kindergarten and they have a staggered start. So, while Emma was able to start school on Tuesday, Sam had to wait until Friday for her first day. Emma started second grade and woke up at 6:00 on the first day. She got herself dressed, made her bed, packed her lunch, and brushed her hair, all before 6:30! She just couldn't contain her excitement.

It's been about a month since school started for us and everything is going so well. The girls adore their teachers and their classrooms. They have lots of new (and old) friends and we are really looking forward to having a great year!

Sleeping Beauties

On this particular day, both girls were being very cranky and I had reached my limit. We decided that it was time for some "Quiet Time" in their bedroom to calm down and relax and think about trying to have better attitudes. At the time I left their bedroom, both girls were reading on their own beds and all was fine. When I went back in about ten minutes later, this is what I saw:
Sometimes sisters just need to have a good snuggle. Of course when you see your little angels sleeping like this, it's quite impossible to still feel frustrated. Definitely a tender mercy!

It's the End of Summer!

The end of summer came quickly in La Grande and we were anxious to have one more outing together as a family. So we packed up our gear and headed up to Catherine Creek state park and had a wonderful day! The park was pretty much empty and the weather was perfect! The Creek itself was flowing nicely and we could even see some salmon spawning and jumping in the creek.

It was very refreshing to stick our feet in and cool off and enjoy the pretty scenery!

Then Dad fired up the barbeque and had a yummy hot dog roast!

The girls rode their bikes and went on a little hike. It was just so nice to get out of town and have one last family activity before school started and we had to get back to our routine. We had so much fun that the next week we met Gramma and Grampa, Uncle Jon, Aunt Natalie and cousins to come visit and do it all over again. (Except I didn't have my camera for that trip). What a blessing it is for us to live in the mountains!

More Summer Activities!

This summer I have really been neglecting our blog! We've been so busy with trips and family and friends and day to day things that the summer has got away from me. Now it is mid-August and I feel like I have accomlished nothing......except that our family has made some wonderful memories that we would like to share with you. The next several posts are a few of the fun activities we have been able to do! We hope you are having a great summer, too!

The County Fair

This past weekend my sister Shellie and her hubby Joshua came to Oregon from Wyoming to visit the family. The girls and I decided to go to Hermiston again to see them and to also support Ashlynne and Myah who raised pigs this summer with their 4-H group, as well as a few other projects. We wanted to see them in action! Here is Emma and Sam with miss Myah.All the cousins and my sisters and brother came to the fair together. This picture is Emma and Samantha with Christian and Camryn at the show barn.

And here is Aunt Shellie with Myah. Aunt Shellie is one of the world's best aunties!

Here she is with little Eliza who is such a doll.

And of course, you can't forget Isaac!

We looked around at the animals and the other displays and then it was time to hit the carnival rides! The girls decided they wanted to go on the roller coaster. (All of their screaming gave me a screaming headache....)

Here is Karlie and Emma on a ride together. I don't know how they manage to not get sick on these rides. I can't go on anything anymore because it makes me feel horrible! I guess the kids are just tough!

You can't make a trip to the fair without stopping at the carousel. The kids loved it! Here is Karlie and Sam who were pretending the whole time that their horses were in an actual horse race. Too cute!

Emma had a great ride, too.

Lillie had her first carousel ride! She was bouncing up and down and laughing the whole time!

The bumper cars are definitely a must! This ride gave me a little insight as to what kind of driver Emma is going to be in eight years! YIKES!!!

Uncle Josh was a good sport and took miss Karlie in a car. I think he even let her drive, too. Watch out everyone! :)

After the fair we needed to do a lot of cooling off so we headed back to Stephanie's house for some swimming and a BBQ. After dinner we had a boys vs girls volleyball game. The girls totally kicked butt!

We had so much fun! The kids played so hard all day and then stayed up really late at Uncle Jon's house playing. They pretty much crashed the rest of the weekend which, as a mom, makes me very happy.