Holiday Season!

Happy Holidays!
We have had a very fast December!
Kelly & Chris drove up to visit us! ( We feel so spoiled!) Ontario had just had some great snow and we were able to take advantage by going sledding, snowmobile, snowboard/ski, and of course drink a few beers! Here are some pictures of when we went to Brundage:



That next weekend Heather came in for the 3rd annual Dinsmore/Meyer Christmas party!
I was able to take off Friday from work & we spoiled ourselves with massages, shopping & if you haven't been to the Ram & had their Peanut Butter Bacon Burger you need to go! It was HEAVEN! Our addiction to Angry Birds and Cut the Rope on our phones started, and we have now invented new dance moves, surely to be seen repeated at next years party! I would post a lot of pictures.. . but I will refrain so that I don't embarrass ourselves! Well.. one won't hurt:


2011 is rapidly approaching & the time just continues to fly! 2010 will hold a special place in our hearts with a whole year of firsts! First year of marriage √, first 'career jobs', first house, first pet, first deer and so much more! There are so many things to be thankful for & so many ways that we are blessed! We will be starting off 2011 with what is sure to be the best year yet, with a visit from Tyler's Dad & brother! We are so ecstatic to be having family visit! We have been so lucky that way! Tyler's sister, Andrea, couldn't have said it better on in her Christmas text, when she said that 2010 brought many miracles that we are so grateful for, and 2011 we will be expanding our family even more and welcoming a new set of Swanson's to our family! We can't wait for Jared & Carrie's Wedding and the Swanson family to continue to grow! 2011 we are ready for you!

Thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving- A little late but still- if any of you are like me, you can't get enough of the holiday spirit!
We started out our Thanksgiving tradition at the Turkey Trot ( Dane & Tyler both sporting their traditional hangovers- but were total sports & stuck the trot out!)
It was 10 degree's this year but once you got moving it wasn't bad at all & it sure helps your mind balance out all of the food you are eating! :)
Mom also sported her snowsuit during the trot which made us all giggle. For one- it wasn't snowing... it wasn't even windy.. & we don't live in Alaska.
Maybe she was a little ahead of the game because look @ what we woke up to this morning! :
& it's still coming down! :)
Brrr!

You can't help but celebrate Thanksgiving & the holidays and not think about what you are thankful for!
There are so many things that I am so thankful for! On Thanksgiving I was especially thankful to be sitting at the dinner table with Grandpa DE ( 100 ) & Fanny who's 95?! - to share a meal with the rest of my family, and get horrible bouts of the giggles due to incredible homemade wine ( in which I am thankful for Lana & Marcus- who taught us their trade <3) & we were also able to skype with Jaela- who is studying abroad in Mexico! What a fantastic experience to have Grandpa DE wave to her on Thanksgiving while she was sitting in her wonderfully colored orange dining hall! You can't help but appreciate those moments ( and technology!) I am incredibly thankful for each of you, who are reading this ( & those that aren't!) & hope that your holiday season is full of heavy laughter & cheer (or cheers ;) )

On a different note- here are some other things that I am thankful for that I would love to share with you!
Because it's snowing outside- I am loooving the internet & being able to holiday shop while drinking coffee in my flannel pjs!
Here are some sites I adore:
6 PM ( Heather introduced me to this addiction & I'm obsessed- a new brand of shoes on sale DAILY! If your looking for fantastic work shoes check out Soffts- you won't even know your in 3 inch heels!)

This blog:- If you ever wanted to create ANYTHING- they have a tutorial for it! LOVE THEM!

& Etsy is a given- I seek items out daily- so that I can then search for the tutorials on Little Birdie Secrets & make my own! Try it!
Cheers to you & your families this holiday season!

The chill is running through the town...

so it's time to get ready for FALL!
Tyler grabbed some hay from my parents house the other day & some pumpkins as a little surprise! We were both itching to start getting that cozy Fall feeling going!


| I know it's our porch, but how cute is this?! If you were a Trick 'r Treater you would want to knock on this door right?! I talked to our neighbor Dixie & she let me know that there have been years where 300 kids have come to her door! Since this is my first time EVER with Trick or Treaters- I am looking forward to that Sunday night! |

One of my favorite things about this time of year is the excuse to have a candy bowl and a horrible addiction to Candy Corn! When I took this picture this was our second bowl full... and it is now gone! Don't tell my Dentist!



And of course.. I couldn't resist taking a picture of Clawdia! He is now on a diet because right before I took this picture he had trouble jumping up on this ledge - which is maybe 2.5 ft. off the ground! haha Tyler says it's his winter coat... I don't believe him! :)

The first of many...

Tyler got his first buck on the opening day of deer season! I'm sure this picture will be the first of many to come, along with many conversations about where he can place the mounts -which I tell him, unfortunately we have low ceilings... so to the garage they will go ;)
And you guessed it... our next purchase has been reserved for another freezer!

100!!!!

This week has been full of celebration, and so it should be! Great Grandpa Denny is officially 100! Below is Grandpa DE & Fanny on his actual Birthday!

Not many people can say that they have a Great Grandpa- let alone one that is 100, still mowing his lawn, living independently, driving & has had the accomplishments that he has had in his life. We are truly blessed to have him in our lives, and learn his lessons directly from him.

Thursday the Ontario Chamber, many local businesses and the Cultural Center helped support this monument by hosting a party & an exhibit opening ( if you want to stop by, it will be open all month) - Over cake, many long time friends of DE's shared memories and talk as a talented country musician played music. He also dedicated a wonderfully written song to Grandpa, as Grandpa tapped his toes in honor.

The celebration doesn't stop there, though! Tomorrow is the real birthday bash with many friends & family coming in to town that we all haven't seen in way too long! More pictures & cheers to come.

Labor Day

One of the best things about this area is that you can go an hour any direction, and get the best country! For Labor Day Tyler & I met Lana & Marcus- ( Marcus had a bear tag) & it was a blast! Both of us came home relaxed & refreshed! Tyler, Lana & Marcus went out the second day searching for a good Bear & I went on an 8 mile walk.. which ended up being a hike! I let the curiosity get the best of me and reaaaally wanted to see what was at the top! Pretty good gratification!
This was the view:



It was a little chilly for the beginning of Sept. & Fall is starting to creep in! Time to search for some Fall decorations! :) Anyone have cute craft ideas? It's also Football/ Hunting Season which means my time might just be freed up a little!
Here are a few others of the weekend:

Grandpa DE is turning 100!

Currently, Grammy & I are busy preparing for something incredible, amazing & wonderful! My Great Grandpa Denny is turning 100 in a few weeks! Recently I made invitations for this wonderful occasion but I also wanted to share the invite with anyone who knows & loves grandpa! I will be posting more pictures as we prepare the exhibit at the Cultural Center & gear up for a party!
We are so excited to get to celebrate such an amazing man's first century with him & knowing him... he will be back out the Monday after his party working on his yard or, like last year, hand building a fence around 10 acres! :)

Chris & Jeff make a pit- stop!

One of Tyler's best friends from home and his Dad were driving from South Carolina?! ( right.. was I paying attention?) back to California & took a major detour to pit stop in Ontario for the night! :) First off, these guys have already driven across the entire US.. and went up to Spokane... then came all the way to Ontario, just to see us, and then headed off to complete their LONG drive! If that doesn't explain friendship I don't know what does!
Chris & Jeff got to see the town & of course the house, plus we were able to give back a little- we let them shower! They arrived & let us know they hadn't had a shower for 4 days! ( Sorry if I wasn't supposed to disclose that.. but you made us feel extra special.. like maybe we gave back something after such a long drive out of the way to us! We love you!)


We feel so blessed to have such amazing friends who fill our lives with laughs & loves! The ones who make time to spend your birthday with you, fly across the state, or take a MAJOR detour just to see you make Tyler & I feel so honored! :)

CNR

I have to post some pictures from the Caldwell Night Rodeo last weekend! It was a packed night full of drinking, GREAT friends & dancing! Can't wait till next year!
Smiles all around! :)


Marcus wanted to throw that beach ball sooooo bad....

& I learned how to DANCE!
Such a great weekend!

I feel loved!

I turned 23 this week, and usually when it comes to birthdays I feel older than I am actually turning! In turning 23, I feel happy, inspired, driven and most of all loved. On Wednesday Kailey, who I haven't seen in MONTHS, came into town from California! I got to spend a night full of laughs! We also got to enjoy my new birthday present... an AMAZING new camera! Tyler did a great job, and a LOT of research on the camera that he was going to get me! THANK YOU! :) Below is a picture of one of the first pictures we took and even tested out the self timer! SO AWESOME!




Then, on Friday HEATHER came to visit me! I couldn't have been more excited to have a week full of best friends! Who gets that! We enjoyed a weekend of P.F. Changs, Boise Saturday Market, CNR & some sun time! I can't thank the people in my life enough for making me feel so special and loved for my birthday! Thank you soooo much!

What does Tyler do all day?

Sometimes I wonder what Tyler does all day when I'm at work. I mean, I'm sure he wonders what I do too besides the normal make his lunch and wash his work clothes ( yes, I'm that cool!) So Friday I met him @ my parents after work so we could lay out by the pool before he went to sleep! * He also mowed my Dad's lawn for him like any good son-in-law would do ( ?!?) When I was driving out there he told me that he got the "FUNNIEST VIDEO'S EVER" of Clawdia.
I asked him to tell me what they were and he said, laughing " No, you have to wait.. they are so great you just have to SEE them to see how funny they really are!"
I drop it at that!
When we are sitting by the pool, I ask again about what he did today & what the videos were about, and again he denied me the divulgence of these HILARIOUS videos. In my mind I'm thinking " I can't wait to see what happened - this is going to be GREAT!" I am also hoping that he got Clawdia & the parrot next door talking
* Side note: Our neighbors have a parrot that talks and mimics. When Clawdia meows at the door the parrot will meow back identical, although I haven't been lucky enough to witness this event. ( Tyler said the video mayyyybeee was that!)
When we get home I rush to the computer so that Tyler can show me this funny video.. and are you ready for the funniest thing you've ever seen.....



Yeah, that was it. The video I waited so anxiously for & it's not even funny, let alone eventful. The only thing funny about it is his narrations & that I can make fun of him for video taping the cat all day! haha Anyways. That was the shortest of the 4 videos he had narrated, all in which Clawdia didn't do anything to the squirrel but make it make a weird noise!
Moral of the story : Tyler might need a to do list, or at least a better event to video tape during the day. But who's laughing, I am the one on a Sat. night still laughing at the not funny video! Maybe he's more of a comedian than I thought! :)

Week/end Away:

Tyler has left me and Clawdia alone for a week! He left this past Wednesday, but with a good excuse! We had planned a trip for him to go home to Santa Ynez a few months back- but it went sour with a call from his boss saying they need him to work :/ Luckily we banked that flight ( Thank you Southwest) and were able to cash it in when he volunteered off for a week of work to go "home" ! YAY! So he has been in California for the past few days, enjoying the sun, homemade meals ( we all know I don't cook for him very much!) and gets to play with his nieces and nephews! I can't wait to see pictures and have been begging him to take some! We will see if he came through tomorrow, because I pick him up at 6:30!
So what's a girl to do when the hubs is away?
I painted our guest bathroom ( I'll post pictures when it dries :) ) & as I was painting my grandma came over! She was headed up to the "cabin" for the weekend & said she wouldn't mind some company! I jumped at that opportunity, packed my camping clothes in a trash bag ( tyler took our only duffle bag!) & off we went. A cooler full of pendleton & coors light and some lettuce and bread! On the drive we stopped in at the Enterprise Safeway to grab some snackies & we were off to the middle of nowhere!



Above is the road that leads to the cabin!

We rode up the gravel road with drinks in hand and seatbelts off! ( I think that's my favorite part!)
I opened all of the gates as we talked and chatted, all while observing an amazing sunset setting behind the Wallowa Mountains!


You just can't get a better weekend away than by driving up to a place where your Coors Light can matches the scenery!


The weekend was amazing and relaxing! My allergies gave me swollen eyes & a chest I couldn't breathe out of, but you just can't complain when you walk 2 minutes to get a view with the mountains of the 7 devils on one side, the Wallowas on the other, and wildflowers from here to there! I sucked down more books than beer too, but that's ok, & the grass hid most of the ground squirrels, so there wasn't much to shoot at! :) The flowers though-- well just look yourself! Who wants to go with me next week?






An amazing weekend, but I can't wait for Tyler to be home tomorrow! HURRY 6:20 tomorrow.. HURRY! :) ( P.S. Tuna Sandwiches filled our bellies all weekend & Clawdia stayed with my mom & dad, he seemed to have fun , as he's passed out in the bathroom!

The Pull:

This past week has been nothing short of a challenging one, although really good in so many ways! Tyler got a 2 week vacation from work, where he has been twiddling his thumbs waiting for me to get off of work... okay maybe not- but he has been enjoying the sleeping in & not going to work at midnight every night! I have been consumed with the usual, and recent "challenges" have really made us reflect on where we are now, and where we want to be! I have been feeling the pull of me focusing something more than WORK all of the time. I am so blessed to have had two jobs & have been doing it fairly easily for the past 6 months, but this week was not an easy one. It was up and down, and even lower and then up again .. 888 < --- T87[ <-- Clawdia says hi! ( he has a habit of chasing my fingers.. ) anyways, it's time to listen to my heart... and start up a budget. I gave my 2 weeks at the other job, so that I could really focus on ITS :)!
YIPPEEEEEEE wooo hoooo... can we afford that.. who care's I'm tired .. and many more things ran through my head, but most importantly.. it's time. So make plans with me.. I can hang out on the weekends! YAY!
The blessings we have had have gotten us here, and I know that there are more to come- but it's time to start this chapter.
Don't even think it... no babies! haha
On another note.. to conclude the last post.. Tyler's birthday was a success!!! In addition to new tires & a leveling kit Tyler also came home with a lawn mower & a new storage cabinet for the garage! Banoffee Pie for birthday cake, with beer and ribs galore!!! We went shooting & then to the pool and then we took a 5 hour nap before bed hahah! Don't judge us, the beer was too good! We will take pictures for the 4th & hope you all are having a great weekend! :)
P.S. - I was serious about that hanging out! What am I going to do when I only work 40 hrs a week?! :)

Fun!

Tyler's birthday is tomorrow, and thanks to my mom, every birthday has to be a whole week long! This week for Tyler has had a few surprises and spoils! On Wednesday I had to get an oil change in my car, and Tyler was nice enough ( after I insisted) that he go do it for me while I was at work! Then I took his truck to work! Since he goes to sleep in the afternoon I snuck it over to my Dad's, who then took it to get a leveling kit put on!
At 11:20, when Tyler woke up, I said " Since it's birthday week, what do you think about giving you a little present early!"
Did he skip for joy? Did he jump up and down? Did he shriek with a " Ooooh oooh PLEASE!!!" ....
NO!
He said... " No, no thanks ... I just woke up, let's just wait."
:( I was SHUT DOWN! haha
Of course there was no way to get out of hiding the incredible lift from him.. so I had to think on the spot.. and BEGGED for him to let me give him a present early. ( I used the bait that I had already made his lunch for him, to give him more time!) He finally agreed, so I made him close his eyes and led him into the kitchen & then said " OPEN YOUR EYES!!"
He looked around and didn't see anything at all.. but it gave me a laugh & that's what he get's for denying a present!
I then kindly said ( after laughing at him, of course) to go look outside! He then saw his leveled truck & then came the shrieking, jumping and woo hoos hahaha!

Birthday week had just begun! Of course, I'm not good at secrets, so when we were out eating, Tyler started a truck conversation. What he wanted next that would make his truck even cooler! * He strategically parked the truck where we could see it while eating* He started talking about how cool new tires would be... and the proceeded to plan to go the next day and check tires out, see the deals ect... my eyes popped out of my head and I was probably a little squirmy because he had no idea I had already ordered brand new tires and we were getting them put on on Saturday! Finally, after trying to hold it in by drinking a ton of water * he's still rambling* I finally said HAPPY BIRTHDAY, you get new tires on Saturday, already shipped and payed for! Now will you quit making plans until your birthday is over!!!

Needless to say , he's a surprise ruiner! Now it's Saturday & the truck is complete! I will keep you posted on the surprises in store tomorrow!! :)
Happy 25th Birthday Tyler!!!!