our trip to oregon in 24 pictures

It was a nice little trip.

I wish at times like this, I could read his mind and know what he's thinking. It's probably something like, "I love my mom. I love my mom. I love my mom. I love my mom. I love my dad, I mean, my mom. I love my mom. I love my mom."

On our way down, we stopped in Vancouver at a soda pop shop that boasted having 300 different kinds of bottled soda pop. This thing was parked there:

After the Pop Shop, we went to Fort Vancouver for lunch and then spent the next couple hours walking around the ol' Fort.

They had a couple blacksmith's on hand, giving demonstrations and talking about how the past was.

And because Corgan stood there and watched and listened to the old timer, he made him and gave him a little hook.

Did you know that Fort Vancouver was the headquarters of the Columbia District for the Hudson Bay Trading Co.? And that company has been around since 1670-something and is the oldest commercial company in North America and one of the oldest in the world? They started out trading furs and still operate as a clothing business up in Cananananda. You've just been schooled. End of lesson.

We left there and made a quick stop to the Beaverton Bakery.

Everything is made from scratch and is, oh so good.

We reached our final destination and the kids let off some steam.

It wouldn't be a complete trip to the Hillsboro Smith's without a late night run for some food. A recent find of a local joint, the Gyro House was the place this time, accompanied with some Sonic cherry limeade. The only reason I go to the Puyallup Fair or any other fair, is to get a gyro. I love gyro's. This gyro put all those others to shame. It was the size of Texas with an extra special kick of a garlic sauce. It was to die for.

On Saturday we took the kids fishing at Horning's Hideout, a fun little family-owned place where the peacocks run wild and so do the kids.

They all patiently waited to get their hooks baited.

Papa Smith taking a bit of rest.

"He-hawks" (as cade called them)

I forgot to send the camera with Aaron and his dad while they were at the Volvo thing. So unfortunately, I am unable to bore you with awesome pictures of awesome Volvo's. But I can tell you that one of the best things about the trip was walking into church on Sunday and looking up on the stand and there was my cousin, Peter. I knew he lived around there somewhere and lo and behold, he and his wife had moved into the ward only three weeks before. Peter was the cousin who was closest to my age growing up on my dad's side, so we always ended up hanging out and doing cousin stuff like being loud and driving our parents crazy.

I also forgot to take pictures with him and his cute kids.

The end.

since you asked

Our weekend plans have taken us out of the state. But just barely. We'll be in and around Portlandia. 

There's a Volvo thing my husband likes to go to.

"Tradition! Tradition!"
-Tevye

On a sad, totally unrelated note, my husbands belt broke.

He's sitting next to me saying that it deserves its own post. He's had the belt since he was a junior in high school, a millennia ago. He was 16 years old, some of the students he teaches are younger than that.

Needless to say, he loved that belt.

If you know of any good leather workers (is there a more technically name for that? i don't know, nor am i taking the ten seconds to google it right now), let me know, that way I can stop his tears from falling.

Back to our weekend plans that now include hunting for a new belt...at least it'll be bought tax free. You don't completely suck, Oregon. High five!

We'll be hitting up a few new places (Fort Vancouver on the way down) and some of the same ol', same ol'. (Beaverton Bakery, Nike Employee Store(yes!), possibly VooDoo Doughnuts, and hanging with family)

Later, Warshington.

See you in a few days.

just sayin'...

my most favorite daughter ever turns 7 today

I love her.

This video was taken when she was about 2 1/2 years old. 

And then there's this gem...

I want to squeeze, love, hold and never let go of that baby girl.

i do declare...

my nephew is cuter than a ducks butt.

you know the feeling

But substitute in all the normal mom stuff that sometimes seems to take up every waking minute. Why can't it go back to when I had all sorts of time to do what I want like before I had kids?

Then I can sleep all night, wake-up late. Make what I want to eat and not what I think five kids will. Only do a few loads of laundry a week and not a million. Read books that have more plot than how everyone poops. Take my time in the shower without having to worry about what hell is being loosened up. Having peace and quiet. No more singing silly songs.  Not having to step on cars, legos. No squishy hugs or sloppy kisses. Not have tiny hands and tiny voices call my name, wanting me, needing me.

Never mind.

Feeling swamped is a good thing.

free at last, free at last! his arm almighty is free at last!

Six short weeks later, and he was ready for his arm to be free and fully functioning again. I told him to smile and this is what I got:

I have never had the pleasure of breaking any bones in my body. I sprained my right wrist back in my freshman year of high school. It was the second day of basketball tryouts and we were running backwards and I fell. Couldn't dribble a basketball after that, kind of a problem if you're trying out for the basketball team. But the coach said I could be on one of the freshman teams. I went to the practices and tried to do all the drills with my left hand. I even was in the team picture. But after two weeks and my wrist not healing quickly, I hung my head in shame and told my coach I was bowing out. It's the only time I can remember ever quitting something. I guess you could also count the one time when I was first trying to learn how to drive a stick. My mom and sister Lael were with me, and there was traffic. Lots of traffic. We came to a red light, and for the life of me, I couldn't go from being completely stopped to first gear. After what seemed like an eternity, in a beautiful fit of teenage rage I pulled up on the emergency break and said I was never going to learn how to drive a stupid stick and got out of the car. I'm sure some of you can relate.

Back to Corgan getting his cast taken off.

The blade on the saw only vibrates back and forth, it doesn't go around and around. That's how the nice lady explained it to Corgan.

He was a good little boy and sat very still.

The two littler boys sat there probably thinking in their minds that they were going to be next in line for this chainsaw massacre.

Ta-da! I bet that had to feel good.

That red owie near his elbow is where he had taken a plastic chopstick to help alleviate some of the itchiness that went on under the cast.

Now he's trying to get used to being able to use his left arm again. It won't be too long though and he'll be back in fighting shape once again. Just in time for summer.