Primrose Family

My baby and braces!

2009-02-23T12:59:00.000-08:00

Today was the day Lauren had been waiting for, the big "I get my braces" day. I'm not thinking money (although it is quite a hefty fee for little metal brackets), I'm thinking where has the time gone that my little baby girl is old enough for braces, in middle school and stretching her wings away from ME? Wasn't I just eleven? Didn't I just get braces, where have the years gone that I can no longer see myself as the little girl and my own daughter has crept into a budding young woman? Must be the big 4-0 settling into my system realizing we have these children for such a short time in comparison to our lifespan. Why it was just the other day Don mentioned that we only had 7 years left to do family vacations before she went off to college. I'm like 7 years, that's a drop in the bucket time wise and it scared me. I have all these great, mental family plans that I just haven't got to yet. Now I feel a sense of urgency to start planning these activities, vacations etc, don't wait Kelly! So I guess getting braces was more an eye opener for me than it was for Lauren, realizing my time as her Mama Bear is slowly dwindling away so she can some day be on her own. It's sad and satisfying knowing what an independent and happy child she has become, but there is still so much I want to experience with her while she is a child. And with that, I ponder the rest of the day .....what next to do.

Catching up & having fun!

2009-02-15T13:26:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful holiday we had, snow and all. Now some of you might dream of that picture of a "white" Christmas but for us Northwester's, it's novelty wore off by day 3. We are utterly unprepared for more than a sprinkling of snow and everything just shuts down until it finally melts. Yes it was pretty, yes it was fun but by the second week and of Christmas no less, we had the itch to get out of the house and just do something, anything. One time I begged Don for a trip to Costco and a visit to his parents house. Thank goodness, Lauren built the best snowman ever in the back of Uncle Matt's and Sara's truck to add traction for the way back home. Fortunately the snowman made it back to their house in one piece. We laughed and laughed about that.

Christmas was just beautiful but getting over to Vancouver for the afternoon was a bit of a challenge. Luckily our truck is used to going over the mountain and just barreled thru while other cars were stuck or very, very, very slow. This year after dinner, we decided to go to a movie for fun. We piled into our truck and off we went, that was really fun. We had a great time with both of our families and are very lucky to have them nearby.

January was cold, rainy sometimes snowy but we endured and had fun along the way. We met our good friends Tammy and Dewayne at Sunriver to meet their new daughter Aralyn. What a cutie pie she was! Don and Dewayne snowmobiled while Tammy and I got back to our roots....shopping. Boy do I miss our bargain, digging times together!

February is half way gone and so is my valentine Don...ahhhhh. Lauren and Don headed to Sunriver to snowmobile with his brother's family while I stayed back here at home with Alex. We did have a great dinner, my favorite- tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich. Well at least the soup was red, right? I decided to see if Alex was "mall ready" since his stroller days were long gone and dragged the poor boy shopping. He didn't protest too much, I gave him his Nintendo DS and he was happy as a clam. Although getting around with him, was like leading a blind person with his nose in his game at all times. I got a few things and just had fun browsing with no time demands.

Today we are scraping wallpaper, or should I say two layers of wall paper off our half bath downstairs. It is the smallest bathroom ever and I've been putting off re-vamping the darn thing for a very long time. The last it was touched was about 10 years ago when I begged my dad to roll some new wallpaper over the old. After hours of scraping, I'ved decided why painting is so much better and easier to change. I'm sure I'll be working on this project for awhile. One room a year is about my speed and budget. Someday when I finish, I'll just have to start again, oh well change is good.

Here's to some sunny days, boy we need them!

Fun in the snow, holiday fun!

2008-12-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

Who would of thought we'd have a snowy holiday season? After all, this is Portland not Mt. Hood, not even close to Vermont! The newscasts are filled with two words "Arctic Blast". I can't stop laughing at that, we're in complete shut down but I can still see the curb. I'm sure all the people who have "real" snow accumulation of more than 4 inches would laugh at us Oregonians! But hey, it's a treat for us and oh so much better th an ice and freezing rain, a winter favorite here. The kids are on their 4th, yes 4th day off and I'm finally getting a little cabin fever. Today my goal is to go somewhere, anywhere for a change of scenery! But since it's so close to Christmas, I think most places have put a closed sign up (except retail of course) and called it good. Leaving mom's everywhere with nothing to do. I pray that the Pizza Place is open today that has a play area, please oh please!
Here's a video of Alex doing his thing aka Indiana Jones!!! S210_171208_1504261.AVI

O'Christmas Tree, O'Christmas Tree

2008-12-06T20:19:00.000-08:00

Today was the day, the sun was shining, the day was bright and the kids seemed happy! Off we went to the Christmas tree farm that we've always gone to but Lauren gave us specific instructions this year, we need to CUT it down ourselves. Although this had always been our family tradition, once Alex was born, it just became too much with a little guy slopping in the mud and we took the easy way out, going down the rows and picking one out all ready to go. But Lauren had had enough of the "easy" way out and off we went with our hack saw and measuring stick.

Don was right when he said we always pick out too big of a tree, so this year he gave me height requirements. No taller than 7'. Easier said than done, every one Lauren and I saw was either too big, too wide, too thin, wrong top etc. after what seemed an exhausting search, we found the right, perfect tree and by that time, Don was already chopping it down before Lauren and I were off to run down a better one. Of course little Alex was crushed that the tree he picked out (at least 8') would not be coming home with us. He cried all the way back down the field (people staring), the whole hay ride back (people staring) and then back at the office to pay (more people staring). Finally when we got home, he took the hit with some grace (better late than never) and moved on too wanting hot chocolate.

Here's a snippet of our tree decorating - Decorating the tree '08

Don and Lauren put all the lights up but I needed more, of course. So off we went to the local drug store for two more boxes. Ahhh, that's better. Now to the ornament decorating! Lauren pounced on the ornaments, so excited to get this season going. Alex just wanted to bring down his Lincoln Logs but I insisted he help decorate the tree for a little while. I did forget one thing, he hadn't been taught how to properly put ornaments on the tree so they wouldn't fall off. We're only down one blue ball, a horse's ear and leg and one glass frog leg, hmnn... Don soon

decided to correct all our hanging mistakes and looked over the whole tree making sure if it moved, nothing would come off and come exploding down. What a guy!

Merry Christmas!

Cruisin the Canal

2008-11-19T20:14:00.000-08:00

What a busy month it was! We went on a much anticipated two week cruise thru the Panama Canal with Don's parents. We had such a fun time but missing the kids was the hardest part. After a week of eating, sleeping, eating, bingo, stops in Florida,Grand Cayman, Columbia and Costa Rica and more eating, it was time to go thru the great Canal.

It was all very interesting going thru each lock watching the ship rise to the the next level and sail on to the next step. The best part....watching this all day while laying on the bed looking out the window, yes it true because we had a great balcony. Don would go and take pictures up on deck and then I'd nap then he would come back down to the room to take more pics from our room. We had this great balcony divider that if we leaned across far enough we could actually have conversations with his parents next door. Add in room service, geez why go anywhere? it was a total hoot and we really enjoyed the time spent with Don's parents.

Believe me, we were one of the youngest couples on board and we're not exactly spring chickens. When dinner time came close, you should have seen those electric scooters go whizzing by followed by walkers and canes. Really it was quite a sight and although I was worried about many of the frail people making it thru the cruise, it was nice to see that even the "quite" elderly of people have the gusto to travel and have fun. Of course we teased Don's parents the whole time saying they would be considered "middle aged" on this ship!

We started out in Ft. Lauderdale, Grand Cayman, Cartegena-Columbia, Costa Rica, Panama Canal, Huatulco, Acapulco, Cabo San Lucus and then San Diego.

Don took some great pictures and finally got his chance to photograph some wildlife actually in the wild. Janis (Don's mom) had a small shuffle board accident the first day at sea, no I'm not kidding, and was held back by a strained muscle that left her quite gimpy for the first week ( the bruise was just huge and awful looking). But alas, she rallied those last few stops in Mexico and never complained. I guess shuffleboard is a sport more dangerous than previously thought, ha ha!

It was a great time had by all and we'll have precious memories of our time together along with a few laughs for years to come!Lauren was lucky enough to go with our good friends Susannah and her daughter to the Bahama's for a week while we were gone. She got to swim with the dolphins, meet the seals and explore all kinds of sea life surrounding them at the Atlantis resort.

Jimmy - Saying Goodbye

2008-09-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Lee Primrose
With a Polaroid picture sent to us in the mail, our journey to adopt a greyhound had begun. Little did we know, that as soon as we laid eyes on him, that he would become such a precious piece of our family. A greyhound, what did we know about them? Not much but Don and I both agreed that they were magnificent looking dogs and we had to give it a try. Soon after the picture was sent, we were aboard to adopt this wonderful dog with big brown eyes who had broke his leg racing. With two books, one collar, leash and two bowls, we began our journey with our friend, our new family member JIMMY.
We had a wonderful life with him and he was always there, right in his line of sight. He was not only wise, but regal and proud. He will be missed everyday. His spot in the family room will always remind of us of what we have lost but also the joy and friendship he gave us! Goodbye Jimmy...
August 31,1996-September 18,2008

Many First's

2008-09-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

It was the first day of middle school for Lauren on Tuesday and she was rearing to go! Mostly excited and a little scared. Hard to believe she's old enough to go and because she is so small, she just doesn't look like a "tween" to me. But she is ready to move on and she's happy with middle school, lip gloss, cool clothes and a swipe of mascara, oh my!

Abby, Gillie & Lauren (her best friends)

Then there is little Alex who is ready for the school bus but has to wait another year. He seems so tall for pre-school and seems older, I always get "he's in Kindergarten now right?" Oh how wrong they are, many times I wish he was going everyday and then I don't. It can waiver depending on the way the long day has gone, ha ha! He starts school on Monday but we did have a chance to meet his new teacher, boy is she in store for our bright, bundle of business and high energy!

Coming off the bus as I ran to the school to get the photo!

Check out all our fancy moves

Today we took Alex bowling for the first time, what a crack up! Every time he roll the ball down the kiddie ramp he'd break into some kind of happy dance with his feet just flying. I don't think he knows anything about break dancing but that kids got some moves

when he's happy, feet sliding every which way. Once the ball slowly, and I mean really slowly got down the lane, he had lost interest and we could have a whole conversation before the ball hit the pins. There were times when we literally didn't think the ball would make it but somehow it did. Thank goodness for the bumpers that would richochet the ball towards the pins. Luckliy Lauren beat him both games, she didn't want to lose to him. He could have cared less, he just said he loved bowling and that we need to do it more. I guess that means we all had a good time!

Birthdays, camping, fun and horseshows!

2008-07-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

Since school ended, we have been on a whirlwind of go, go, go. When planning all these great things to do early this spring, I really thought each one would be more fun, not stress. Alas the days have been packed and filled with no thought on my part that the prep work, housework, paying bills, pooping/peeing dogs and of course busy Alex would also be part of my time to manage on our way to these great fun activities. So, we've kept busy, too busy and hopefully I can say NO a little more often to the things that don't matter and yes to the items (being relaxed and having fun with the kids) more often next summer. Yes, that's right you heard me those that know my thinking, I'll try better to sit down more and just chill.....I'll report on my progress at a later date!

1. Camping at Beverly Beach - hmn, what can I say? It was COLD, the puppy and kids whined, we flew kites, got a lot of mosquito bites, had lots and lots of yummy smores, came home filthy. It was a good time but a trailer is starting to sound better and better. Let's just skip that and head for a hotel! At least our tent was big and hearing the waves all night was the best sound to go to sleep too.

2. Lauren's 11th B-day - Yes, my baby is 11 yrs old! She might be petite but her personality is one smart cookie with a side of firecracker. We had a few friends over for the afternoon and had hotdogs on the fire for dinner. Later we had family over to celebrate with a cheesecake dessert!

3. Brawley horseshow - This was a fun/family oriented horseshow in Salem, OR. They had lots of kids activities and fun for the whole family. Lauren did well on her pony and it was fun to spend time with other families from her barn for the 3 day holiday weekend. The only thing we missed out on was seeing a fireworks display. Don did take the kids down to the hotel parking lot to light some sparklers, so they were happy. We just had to laugh!

4. Kelly's 40th - cough, cough, could this really be? Don did a wonderful job planning my party, all I had to do was send out the invites. He hired a great party/caterer to handle all the work so I could just enjoy the evening with friends and family. We had 3 casino tables set up in the back yard using fake money. It was a great evening and I feel lucky to have had such a great turn out to spend my remaining 39 years with until the dreaded last hour I turned the BIG 40.

5. Vacation Bible School - Lauren and Alex attended VBS at their Grandma/Grandpa Primrose's church this year with the theme "Chronicles of Narnia". Lauren was too old to attend but decided it would be really great to be a leader. Alex was in the pre-school group while Lauren was a leader in the 1st and 2nd grade kids. She was very assertive and really enjoyed helping the kids in her group get thru their fun activities. Grandma helped out in the church kitchen each day, so it was great that they had her there to go to when they needed her.

6. High Desert Horseshow/Vacation at Sunriver - Packed and ready to go, we picked the kids up at VBS on Thursday and headed out of town (Grandma Lee, Kelly, Lauren & Alex). Lauren had two horseshows to attend too and it kept us busy, busy! Usually our time at Sunriver is lazy and relaxing but no such luck this year. It sounded so great to plan our vacation and the horseshow together but we didn't realize that she'd have to be there every single day. Luckily, Don came on the weekends and added to the support troops so we could divide and conquer. One went with Lauren and the other stayed with Alex and Grandma. Lauren had a great time and it was a wonderful opportunity to compete in two "A" rated shows, but it was very exhausting and not a lot of down time. But the view was great, the pine smelled sweet and all ended up well.

7. Uh that's where we are at right now.....we need to get Lauren ready for Camp this weekend. She is actually going all alone to the same Camp Fire camp she went to last year but will be staying at the Ranch Camp division up the road. They get an assigned a horse for the week and just have fun. Plus its Western riding, I can relate to that. I can't wait to hear what she thinks about her ole cowgirl mom did things and how I used to ride. Alex will be at Zoo Camp the same week, yes I planned that one correctly. He'll be at day camp at the Zoo, and he loves it there. In the mean time, I will be working on a Silent Auction for the animal rescue group I volunteer for. I've exchanged fostering kittens for more clerical duty. It smells much better, ha ha!

8. Jimmy's last days - we are sad to say that Jimmy was diagnosed with bone cancer in his left front shoulder. He has been limping for the past two weeks, so as soon as we got home, we went up to the vet. We are not sure how long he has but we know that we'll keep him comfortable and happy as long as he can stay with us. We've been prepared this past year as he's dealt with some illnesses and has became more frail. Still, it never prepares you for the words, "this isn't good news" as the Dr. pulls out the x-rays. Keep him in your thoughts and we'll keep you updated.

Has it really gone by that fast?

2008-06-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

Lauren at Preschool 5/01 It seems just like yesterday Lauren started Pre-school and here we are at the end of elementary school. Could it possibly be that 7 years have just flown by? I guess so because here I am on the eve of her last day of school feeling a little nostalgic. Even though she's mentally already a "tween" and up for the middle school challenge, poor mom is feeling left in the dust thinking "where has my baby gone?

Yes, I know she's not graduating from high school but I know it's the start of a whole new world for her and a new world for me letting her go, little by little. I can still remember the day she wore that grey dress and her snack packed in her little Clifford lunch box. When she used to look at me adoringly and now she can hardly keep the eye roles in check. Yes, it's the beginning of the end of fun, childhood giddiness, now it's off to boys (cough), drama about everything, what to wear and above all, giving her privacy! Oh please!
Lauren's 5th grade send off 6/08

This past weekend was our annual garage sale. I don't know how I do one every year, but I seem to be able to dig up quite a lot to get rid of. This year I got up in the attic and really tore thru some old stuff. Really, do I need those college term papers or my pom pom's from high school? Well yeah, I do! But then I decided to dig not so deep and get rid of some holiday clutter, misc crud that has sat around WAY too long. Our goal this year was to sell enough to buy a Wii entertainment system. We had enough and promptly went out shopping. Little did we know, that the Wii are still quite the item to buy and we came up empty handed. The next day, I decided to peruse Craigslists and to my surprise, there were quite of few people ready to give up their Wii that they stood in line at Christmas to get for their family. So with my dollar bills filled up in an envelope, Alex and I rode off to make our big family purchase. I guess the picture of them playing tells you what words can not express, they love it.

Our enthralled children playing the Wii

Here's a video of Alex and Don special for Father's Day!
Don & Alex bonding over mowing

Mother's Day Horse Show

2008-05-14T17:08:00.000-07:00

Lauren ready to Ride on Lil Mattie

Well the horse show madness has begun this season and Lauren is enjoying every minute of it. Lauren and I made the two hour pilgrimage to Eugene, OR for the Mother's day horse show Thursday after school. By Friday morning she was ready to rock and roll on her school pony "Mattie". She did very well her first 3 classes in a new division, a whopping 2'6". It's not really that high, but if you say it enough, the dramatization of Lauren's voice makes it feel like 5'5"!!!

Lauren bought a real calf rope and was practicing out in the parking lot

After those first few classes, her trainer decided she was ready to try the more competitive and level "A" classes in Hunter Pony. I have no idea what this means but Lauren had to take a crash course down the stall corridors on how to walk and jog her pony, unsaddled into the arena along with a new jumping course with different strides. Again, this is totally foreign to me but I just smile and go along with it....It was actually both funny and exciting at the same time. Over all she placed in 11 classes, got one Champion and one Reserve Champion. I mean really child, Don and I were so proud. Her trainer just kept saying "Lauren, it's not about the ribbons so don't be getting a big head".

By Sunday, the poor girl, mom and dad were exhausted. Not only is it hard on the rider both mentally and physically but us poor parents are standing, waiting, and then it's run, run, run, to get to the class. Then we wait, untack the horse and then it starts all over again. I felt like a school kid getting ready for the first day of school, all the excitement but then the tiredness kicks in.....after 3 days, we were all shot.

On Saturday, Grandma Primrose brought Don and Alex up to the show to watch and then switch places. By that time, Lauren was ready for me to go and quit asking if she's got every thing done and of course I was ready too. I was able to have a good nights sleep and spend some time with my dear mom for Mother's day. I think I might have even fell a sleep on her couch for a bit but I wasn't sure if I was dreaming.

I'm still yawning....

Is it Spring yet? Swimming, puppies, Mohawks oh my!

2008-04-30T17:50:00.001-07:00

Ruby "borrowing" Jimmy's bone

You wouldn't know by looking outside at the pouring rain that tomorrow it's May Day....we've had a few "nice" days this spring but let me stress the "few" that we've had. Sunday I finally planted some bulbs hoping there wasn't going to be another freak snow/hail storm coming our way. Hanging baskets will have to wait until I can trust our weather forecaster! I've decided not to get my car washed until I have 3 nice days in a row, otherwise it's just money down the drain. Can you tell this weather is depressing?

Alas, hope is not all lost as we've got plenty of sunshine inside the house with our new little puppy Ruby Grace. She's 4 months old now and a mini-dachshund, an absolute doll. After fostering a few dogs last year, I decided I wanted one to cuddle and sit on my lap. Jimmy is just to big for a spot on the couch but he does lay nears us on the floor. Ole Jimmy is 11 1/2 years old now and has some health concerns but he still keeps wagging his tail and going to the bus top every morning. I'm now his short order cook trying to keep him fed as he's gotten very, very picky these past 6 months and has lost quite a bit of weight.

Okay I can't really complain but potty training a puppy and having a busy 4 year old has been quite the challenge. I'm constantly on the look out to see what she's up to and then I've got my other eye on Alex to see what's he into. Never a dull moment in the Primrose house! But I wanted a puppy without emotional baggage and although it went against all my "need to rescue" values, I figured I've saved quite a few lives by now with all the fostering we've done. Besides, Don got 3 presents in one for me (Anniversary, Mother's Day and Birthday), so a deal was made and lil Ruby joined the family. Don't ask how the cats are taking it, they might hiss and claw at me for even mentioning the little cat chaser....

Roxy & Ruby

Did I mention Suzy got mom the same kind of puppy? Her name is Roxy and Suzy is the surrogate mother, potty -training the little fireball until it can come to mom's. The big question is, can she give that darling puppy back to mom? Time will tell.....

Lauren is heading to a Mother's day Horse show on Mother's day weekend of course! No sleep-ins for me but I did hear the hotel served a continental breakfast, I'll pretend it's a huge buffet and we're wearing pretty dresses on a sunny day that's all about me, ha ha!

Since our trip to Mexico, Don and I decided it was time to start Alex on swimming lessons since he wouldn't really get in the pool, something about having to touch the bottom which is kind of hard when your short at 4 years old. Although he loved the beach, feet firmly planted on the sand, it was time to explore the pool with a class. First time, they put a table in the water for him to stand on but since then, he's bobbing and floating in the water like a true Lauren. Amazing how other people he doesn't even know can instill the trust we couldn't establish when it came to getting him in the pool with us. Well that just goes to show you, they have teachers for a reason. Check out the video:Alex's first swim lesson

Last but not least, I cut Alex's hair in a stylish Mohawk for fun. Lauren and I were hoping to do it for our vacation but I didn't want to regret seeing a Mohawk years from now in the vacation pictures. Don had to work late and we thought it would be fun to give him a real fun haircut for Blake's 9th b-day party the next day. I'm not sure how long it will last but spiking it up with gel has me smiling every morning. What a crack up!

Alex at Blake's 9th B-day

Sayulita, Mexico

2008-04-05T10:18:00.000-07:00

Ola friends & family!
We are home from Mexico. We had a wonderful trip with our neighborhood friends, 20 of us all together. Surprisingly, Alex did wonderfully and loved the beach/pool. He kept so busy, he asked to go to bed at night!

We left Easter Sunday and made it there with out a hitch straight to Puerto Vallarta. Then we got our rental car and headed to the small surfing/fishing town of Sayulita. Obviously the word has spread that this small and very authentic town is becoming well known as there were more people there this year. Added highlights for this trip, several cash machines for money exchanges. Last year we had to drive to the nearest town when we ran out of pesos. They prefer pesos over the dollar which is usually not the case in the big resort towns we've been too before. And debit cards, uh what are those?

One highlight was our horseback ride to the beach! Alex sat in front of me on a pillow and we waddled down the trail like pro's. Lauren was anxious to gallop in the sand and surprising, Don followed her on his horse. The look on his face was priceless, nervous but happy. This year only Lauren went zip lining since Don and I went last time. We heard she was at the head of the line for each zip and even let go a few times. That girl is one adventurer! We also went to fun water park for the day where we saw a great dolphin show.

Several of our friends rented surf boards and let Lauren give it a try. Both times she actually got up on her feet. My video of playing on the beach and Lauren's first time surfing
Check it out at: Sayulita fun and surfing

Alex in the mean time, would stand on a boogie board on the beach and wait for the wave to come in and lift the board. He'd fall off over and over again thinking he was surfing. If you want to see a camera video Don took,
Check out this video! Surfer Boy Don's commentary is hilarious!

All our friends left on Friday/Saturday but our flight was on Monday and we had a few days alone. We decided to hang out at the beach and just relax. I promptly took the opportunity for a beach massage for $35 and although the massage was excellent, the tent, bed, sheet was not up to my pampered and cleanliness standards. Well in Mexico standards, I still think I got a deal even though I looked like a greased pig walking out!

Coming home was a bit more difficult as we missed our connection from Seattle to Portland at 11pm at night! For some unknown reason, we missed the announcement at the gate while we sitting down a ways. Don checked on the flight and came running back with steam literally coming from the top of his head. There were several cross words given to the customer service agent and we weren't sure what to do. No luggage, no place to stay and wait until the morning. Fortunately we decided that the price of a hotel and the price of renting a rental car to drive home would be about the same. So we dashed to the car rental place and by midnight were on our way back to Portland. All said and done, we got home about 3am and fell into bed, happily.

I can't tell you how fortunate we all are after seeing how other people live without all the amenities we do. Dirt, bugs, no dishwashers, dryers etc are a way of life there in those small towns. Many cook outside in a lien two and live in cement shacks they call houses. Coming home was very humbling once again and made all of us feel very lucky.

Alex turns 4!

2008-03-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

Alex as a wee babe 3/9/04
It just seems like the other day Alex came into our lives, all 6lbs 14oz of him (a month early). The funny part, he was so quiet those first few hours I can remember the doctor saying "he's such a quiet baby". Well things have certainly changed in our household since this little powerhouse joined the family.

We had almost 7 years with our precious Lauren and we thought she was busy! Boy were we in for it with this little guy, those big beautiful eyes and a smile that still melts my heart, even when he's in trouble. There's something to be said about mom's and their boy's, it's definitely a different connection and bond than with a girl. He's my little buddy, always busy, always thinking and usually doing something he's not supposed too.
Suzy & baby Alison
With the large age span between the two
kids, I thought they'd get a long wonderfully, wrong! He adores
Lauren but Lauren needs her space at her"tween" age and sometimes he gets just a little too pesky for her taste. But when they bond, they really come together and the love just pours out from both of them.

I was just thinking last night, next year I'll have a pre-schooler and a middle-schooler, how strange is that?
We were so lucky to have Lauren and felt very blessed but now that's there is two, it feels complete and we wouldn't want it any other way :-)

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!

2008-02-04T20:54:00.000-08:00

Don working on the roof
We traveled to Sunriver this weekend to check out the snow and boy did we get a treat! Not only was there snow but it continued the whole next day with inches of white, feathery fun. The kids had a blast while Don climbed on the roof to remove some of the ice damn that was causing a leak in the dining room. We had several buckets lined up in the dining room window ledges, so pretty, while he chiseled, banged, hit, shoveled for two days over a small area and the leak never stopped!

Now we've moved to the experts and hired a crew to come out this week before too much damage is caused since we can't stay there to catch the drips or maybe a fountain that may form and land inside.

Kelly & new friend, the SnowBlower!
I did try to lend a hand so Don could get a path made in front of the house to put the ladder up. The snow was so thick, one of us had to shovel while the other used the snowblower to plow ahead. But I like the snow blower, in all of these years I've never wanted to use it, since Don feels so manly doing it. But now.... the power, the pull and cleaning of the driveway was my new calling as a woman!

Although I pointed the spray in the wrong direction several times and hit the kids overall, I liked the whole experience. Now if that nasty leak would leave.......

Lauren burying Alex in the Snow!

Ready, Set, ....hike

2008-01-13T18:23:00.000-08:00

Today we wanted to venture out of the house (its been raining forever) while the sky was cloudy but it wasn't pouring. We decided to stay close to home and go to our local Audubon Society to check the birds in the hospital and take a hike on some of their trails.

Did I mention that it's been raining forever? I forgot to say we didn't wear boots, just old sneakers. Well Lauren did wear some short riding boots, she must have known something I didn't think of! There was mud, mud, mud and then more mud but it was so beautiful and of course the kids didn't care.

We had to walk slowly so as not to slip in the stream below or off the edge of a cliff but we made it and the kids really enjoyed getting some fresh air, well me too!

Here are some fun pics from the day!

Christmas 2007

2008-01-02T08:18:00.000-08:00

What a nice Christmas we all had. Lots of family time and loads of food! Christmas Eve started with Don's family coming over for our big gift exchange. Lucky for me, they all brought the food and I didn't have to do anything..... Don felt pretty good that day, so it was nice he could spend the evening with his family but Christmas Day was pretty hard on him. He was a trooper and once the pain medicine took affect, he was ready to open gifts with the kids and enjoy all their happiness.

Later on Christmas day we headed to my mom's and had a great Christmas dinner and gift exchange with my family. The kids were running around (mostly Alex), and of course the usual excitement and chaos was in the air.

A few days later after a speedy Christmas tree/decoration clean up, we headed to Sunriver for New Years. There was a lot of snow and the kids had a great time. Suzy brought mom and her family, so there was plenty action and fun.

One day we even went to the movie together, all 9 of us divided up into 3 different movies. It was kind of funny, but we all ended up back together about the same time. Alex loved Alvin and the Chipmunks, I'm not so sure Don did :-)

Lauren, Alex and Blake went ice skating on New Years Eve but they only lasted about 1/2 hour because it was so cold. I helped Alex on the ice since this was only his second time, but soon he shooed me away and skated mostly on his own. I was cracking up. Lauren was showing me her triple turns, not, but I acted as if she was the next ice skating Olympian.

Then we had a huge steak dinner, Suzy would settle for nothing less and it was fabulous! Then we all proceeded to the nearby couches to wait until midnight. Some of us (Me and Pat) didn't make it to 12am, it must have been the big dinner.....

Happy New Year!

Don - Strong like Bull !!!

2007-12-19T21:28:00.000-08:00

Pre-Op
Today was the day! Tonsils - gone, Sinus's - open, snoring - gone! Don went into surgery like a true champion, not wincing even once as he was headed down the hall into the operating room. He just wanted to get this done and over with, lets get on with it folks he kept thinking. I kept saying "it's going to hurt, you're going to really feel lousy, do ya really want this done, now?" But the man wouldn't budge, he was tired of snarling, snoring (me kicking him at night) and getting sinus infections. This was it, his last stand against the enemy.....

This week should prove very interesting for us all as Don recovers, school is out and Christmas arrives. Not to sound too selfish....but I might be pulling my hair out by New Years! Well I'm glad this is over with and we can begin our lives together sick and snore free, what a guy :-)

Don Post-Op - still thumbs up

Breakfast with Santa

2007-12-16T15:33:00.000-08:00

Following a night of crying and earaches for poor Alex, we approached Saturday morning with much caution. Should we or should we not go and see Santa for our special breakfast? But soon Alex was feeling fine or so he said, and wanted to see the "Santa Party" at the club. Luckily we entered the big room with balloons, tables set, breakfast ready and Santa's chair was ready to fill with all the lucky boys and girls. You might ask, what would a 3 year old boy ask for? Maybe a toy plane, truck, a puppy dog? Not so for Alex! He anxiously told me as soon as Santa came down our chimney he would leave him a Big, big farm and a cake! Cake? you asked for that last year, he just smiled and said, "I love cake!"

Lauren was a whole new ball of wax. Neither confirming nor denying Santa's existence, she told me it was a secret what she was going to ask for thus leaving me speechless. I tried to tell her that was for only wishing on a star or a coin in a fountain, not what we wanted from Santa. But the girl wouldn't budge and we have no clue what she really asked for. Probably a horse.....

While this was the first year that Alex actually sat on Santa's lap he wouldn't look at him but talked to him with his head turned the opposite direction. Well at least he wasn't screaming and he was talking to him in an indirect manner. At one point I saw him hold up 3 fingers for his age, so I know something was being said :-)

Then it was time for the puppet show, pretty cute. Alex relaxed enough to lay completely down with his hands behind his head or leaning on Lauren. I had Don run and get a picture of that one.

This might be our last year with both kids loving the same Christmas traditions as Lauren moves to the tween years so I'm enjoying and laughing at all the chaos and antics that a 10 and 3 year old could give you.

Also, I've watched Santa Claus is coming to town, Frosty and Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer at least once a day. So if you need the words to any of the songs, Alex and I would be happy sing them for you!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Thanksgiving, gobble, gobble...

2007-11-27T15:39:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful time we had at the Sunriver house this year. The house was full of family (this year we celebrated with Don's side). Of course we had the usual Turkey feast that we ate until we had to leave. No snow this year which was a bit disappointing especially for Lauren and her cousins who wanted to play and sled outside.

We did have lots of time to gather and visit in the house, games, movies, and an outing to the lodge to decorate gingerbread cookies! Lots of frosting ended up on Alex who licked it all off the cookies while Lauren intricately decorated hers with the necessary eyes, mouth and clothes before munching them down.

Alex also tried his first hand at ice skating with his cousins and did pretty well. Lauren was skating circles around him as I was trying to protect him from wayward beginners. Pretty soon he was saying "mommy, quit following me!"

We all had a great time and I look forward to being with my family next year for the same great fun!

Click on the big family picture if you want to see it close up :-)

Alison's Big Day - The Christening

2007-11-18T12:53:00.000-08:00

Oh how precious this little sweet babe is! Yesterday we all met and witnessed Alison getting Baptized with family and special friends looking on. She was very accommodating especially when her little lace collar irritated her sensitive newborn skin. She flew through the ceremony with flying colors!

Soon after the ceremony we headed to Grandpa & Grandma's house for sandwiches, snacks and yummy cake. There little Alison was handed off one by one for us all to hold and cuddle with. What a trooper she was, so patient with all of us baby hoarders! Mom and Dad let us all take turns while they got to eat hands free and watch their daughter being cooed all over by people like me that just wanted to sit and hold her :-)

Lauren's Last horseshow

2007-11-16T15:28:00.001-08:00

Lauren's last horse show for the season ended on a high note this past Sunday. Fortunately it was a covered arena, cold but not rainy. Since this was a schooling show, they were only 8 participants in Lauren's 4 classes/events. Her and Maddie (the pony she rides) rode slow and steady to win the championship in her 4 events for Short Stirrup. What a way to end the year!Auntie Suzy, Pat, Grant and Blake were able to see her ride for the first time, Lauren was very excited about that. Don's family has been to several events but this was the first show that was close to Washington and Kelly's family could easily drive too. Alex stayed with Grandma Lee while we were at the show. I do believe he got his way in everything he asked for because she said he was just "perfect" the whole time. Cough, cough, having a hard time believing that one!

The season begins again in February, time to save up, this sport is not for the fool hearty. So if any of your kids beg you to try Hunter/Jumping, please give them a nice new soccerball, basketball or glove and convince them otherwise :-)

One, two, three.....CHEESE.....NOT!

2007-11-11T18:44:00.000-08:00

Why O why did I plan the holiday family portrait for a Saturday at 11:30am? What in heavens could I be thinking with a 3 year old close to lunch time? Evidently Alex knew before we did what a bad idea that was! We rushed out the door (mom had a bad hair morning) and got to our appointment on time. That's a miracle in itself.

Walking into the room, we see loads of well dressed kids waiting around for their turn.....oh must I go on? Luckily I filled out some form at lightening speed and Don asked if we had to wait for all these other people first before it was "our" turn. Luckily the answer was "no" and we only waited about 10 minutes in a highly stimulating atmosphere and I did I mention it was close to lunchtime?

We practically ran in when our name was called, they promptly sat Don on a stool and asked Alex to sit next to him. Evidently that was not what Alex wanted and he quickly rolled onto the floor crying that Daddy shouldn't be there. I quickly thought back to last week when Alex had retakes at school. I scooted daddy off the stool for Alex's star shot all alone, he was happy for about 2 seconds. So we move on, Daddy gets back on the stool, uh oh he's ticked again, Daddy just shouldn't be there. Don and I gave each other a panicked look, like we might have to exit this studio before we even start but I wouldn't give in! I grabbed Alex by the hand and dragged him out and abruptly threatened him with whatever I could think of, I'm talking punishments here. We went back in, same thing, cries, full floor flailing now, I'm really starting to sweat. Did I mention the lunchtime factor?

This time I grabbed Alex very sternly and nearly dragged him out of the studio to get away from all the ruckus. I explained how important it was to send a Christmas card to Santa with all four of us in the photo, not just him. He disagreed but I could see him reasoning a little, after all Santa was going to bring him gifts. Then I reached down deep into my depth of mothering, all my lessons learned from Lauren and completely wowed myself by this epiphany I brought two small snack size chocolate bars from Halloween in my purse for each child for a treat later. I then promised him TWO candy treats and his face softened. I quietly asked, are you going to smile for the camera"? and he said in a very somber voice, yes mommy.

Ta dah, he practically ran in like nothing happened and we had the greatest session and the pics turned out fabulous minus my bad hair day. I was so worried about him, I didn't even think of beautiful Lauren waiting patiently in her sparkly red dress or daddy looking dapper all dressed up. The minute we were done he was begging for those candies and I was happy to oblige.
Side note: Lauren ate two McDonald's apple pies after losing her piece of candy to Alex.

Lesson learned: take pictures in the morning, have full belly's and take a candy bar as a last resort!

When ya'll get your Christmas cards, remember this story, you'd never know by looking at them......:-)

The Bee Movie

2007-11-06T14:06:00.000-08:00

Since Lauren had the day off yesterday I thought, hmn what should we do? Stay home, relax, clean, do bills, laundry...no way! I decided it was time to take Alex to his first movie with Lauren and I to see The BEE movie. First we went to a nice lunch and then headed to the theater with full stomachs. He actually sat in his seat or the two next to us, most of the time.
It was a perfect first movie with action and fun. When the movie was about 3/4th's done, Alex came up to me tired and said, "I'm done, let's go". Anyway, we had a fun day off....

We finally meet.....

2007-11-05T15:24:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time coming but we were all finally well enough to meet Baby Alison and HOLD her for the first time! Of course I stared at her for a long time to really take in all her cuteness. She is the sweetest thing ever and so little.

Sara and Matt had her in a cute pink outfit and they let us take over their house so we could just sit with her. Lauren loved meeting her newest cousin, held her ever so gently and even tried to give her a bottle. Alison had other ideas because of all the ruckus but she was very patient and sweet, sweet, sweet! Doesn't she look like she's smiling with Lauren?

Alex touched her hands after sanitizing of course, and only bumped one table over while we were there, whew! I know he will love her a lot when he stops long enough to really notice her, probably when she starts to crawl and pull hair...every time he sees a baby he mentions Baby Alison. We took a lot of photos but here are a few to share.

Hannah Montana Concert

2007-11-01T17:33:00.000-07:00

Lauren and her two friends Abby and Gillie, excitingly await Hannah Montana to come out on stage this past Wednesday night. They held up "WE LOVE HANNAH" signs and danced the night away.
This was the first concert I've been too that the high pitched screaming of little girls far outweighed the loudness of the actual music. Several of us mom's would plug our ears before and after every song. It was just funny watching all these little ones see their favorite singer and screaming over and over. It was a good time for all of us.

Trick or Treat

2007-11-01T08:38:00.000-07:00

Aargh Matey! is what Alex practiced days before going Trick or Treating. He was definitely into knocking on the neighbor's door and getting candy this year! A few times he just said "give me something good to eat" and then said cutely "thank you". Grandpa and Grandma Primrose came over and the kids were all excited to show them their costumes and get outside asap! Grandma and I took Alex first right before dark and then Lauren went to the neighbors house with her friends to go as a large group. Don walked around with them for awhile before he pooped out and headed back into the warmth. Lauren came back with the biggest bag of candy she's ever had.

Don and I attended a neighborhood progressive dinner party where Don was a scary, scary Monster and I was a bride (yes, that my wedding dress!). I kept telling people we were like, Beauty and the Beast...... :-)

Halloween Time!

2007-10-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

Wow, has time flown by, can it really be the week before Halloween? First Alex got a cold, then Kelly, then Don (Bad) and now Kelly again. I guess it's that time of year where all those bugs are in the air. We still haven't been able to hold the new baby!

After making a pathetic attempt to get pumpkins at the grocery store on Sunday (mom felt guilty), we ran to the pumpkin patch Monday when the clouds finally cleared. It was a miracle, there was actually sunshine and no blustering wind and rain. Unfortunately Don wasn't up to it, so I packed the kids in the car and went to our local pumpkin patch. Last year, if you watch the reality show "Little People, Big World" on TLC, we went to their pumpkin patch about 2 miles away. I guess everyone else had the same idea, because it was just packed. We tried to get the camera crew's attention so we could be on tv, but I guess we weren't the only tv star want-to-be's. So this year it was back to the traditional patch with a small boat ride out to the field and a cute train ride back.

We ventured into the huge Corn Maze this year without bringing boots. I did mention all the rain, right? Alex and I were sloshing around while Lauren was all out running over the 12 acre maze. Soon Alex got tired and "scared" and we had to call or yell for Lauren to come back for about 20 minutes. It was pretty funny, Alex kept worrying about his "sissy" and if she was ever going to come back.

This year's costumes will be proudly worn with Lauren dressing up as a beautiful, featherly angel and Alex as a Pirate. He has been practicing his "aargh matey" quite a bit.

Stay tuned, Halloween adventure 2007 shall follow........

Baby Alison Jane Primrose arrives!

2007-10-15T14:34:00.000-07:00

Don's youngest brother Matt and his wife Sara welcomed their little girl into the world early this morning. After what seemed like a gazillion hours of labor for the poor woman and waiting family, it was decided to have a C-section early this morning. She is receiving a little extra treatment with oxygen to give her lungs some rest after sucking in some of the amniotic fluid as she entered this great big world. She is rosey pink and just perfect as Alex and I saw her thru the nursery window today. We all knew she was a girl but they kept the name secret, the anticipation and guessing continued (mostly on my part) until the last day. Jane is named after Sara's mom, we think the whole name is just beautiful.

I will post a picture as soon as we can hold her and get a good close up :-)It's been 3 1/2 years since the Primrose clan heard a newborn cry and the first for Sara's family. We are all excited to meet and hold this dear little one and see her grow. She was 7lb14oz and 19 1/2".

Picture Day!

2007-10-11T11:51:00.000-07:00

Today was both Alex's and Lauren's school picture. The first for Alex in Pre-School and the last for Lauren in Elementary school. What a different perspective I get from each. Lauren and I picked 5 shirts out last night and looked at them hanging up to decide the best fit for her skin tone and hair. Then she headed downstairs to offer dad two choices. Luckily he picked our first choice! Then it was, what jewelry? After looking at her hoard of bracelets, the necklaces were a bit babyish so we raided my necklace rack and found the perfect one. Early this morning we dipped her hair in the bath, blowed dried with diffuser (if you even know what that attachment is) then scrunched, fluffed and headed out the door.

Now Alex, put clothes on in front of TV while he doesn't notice. Wrinkled shirt, mom hurriedly irons it. Brush teeth while Mommy's slicks hair over and secures with hair gel. Voila! We're done. When I picked him up from school he told me that he had his picture taken, showed me his smile and said "Pizza". Evidently that is what they have you say to produce a nice smile....

All in a days work at the Primroses.....

The Primrose Blog of Happenings and adventures!

2007-10-04T18:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our new blog page that I will be updating on a regular basis. Alex is in pre-school now and keeping busy learning his letters and numbers. He hasn't been in trouble...yet, so all is good. Lauren is in 5th grade now and is experiencing the growing up process all too fast in my opinion! She is still heavily involved in Hunter/Jumping horses and loves it dearly. She has been riding a pony named Maddie that belongs to the barn, she keeps Lauren on her toes with moodiness, she is a mare after all! We are headed to Sunriver this weekend for a geo-cache event held there. If you haven't tried this scavenger hunt with your GPS unit, you should really try. The kids love finding the treasure boxes and seeing what's inside. You take something and leave something, it's a lot of fun and a great family event. We'll be keeping you updated as I get used to this whole blog thing, it's all new to me :-)