Holiday Partying ~

The week before Christmas and the Parties will start.

We started this weekend off on Thursday night, at Duncan's work party.

We had a nice time - a glass of wine and not kids!

Then on Friday night - the 3rd annual cookie and wine party...

Me, aunt Judy, and my Mommy's hands

Sally and Wyatt, very hard at work.

Krista and Levi, in deep discussion about the frosting.

 

A part of our finished product!

 

Alex, the next morning -- trying to sneak into the dining room for his cookie.

 We made several dozen cookies, and drank a few bottles of wine.

There was lots of laughing and stories.

A very relaxing night.

The cookies, were packed away and taken to the family party on Saturday night. That is a whole other blog post!

I love the week before Christmas!!!

Replace ~

So, remember this post?

Sally, Tara, and I decided to try to finish out the year on a high note, so off to Shelton to see Blake Shelton at the Little Creek Casino.

I am happy to report that we had a great time...and the police did not have to be involved at all!

Life and Stuff ~

I may not like our cold and rainy season (who would when it lasts 9 months?)...but I do love what the season brings.

Swim lessons with friends:



Levi & Wyatt at their 1st Eel Lesson!

The decorations make their way out of the boxes:

More time to spend inside, decorating and playing!



More time for the boys to rough house and play!



Time for decorating the Christmas tree:

Time for cooking and baking, with the help of my special young man:

Making of sweet treats to spoil our dinners...

The cookie plate fills up (and then quickly depletes!)...

I can deal with these dreary weekends, know that finally rest will come. I can cherish this time with the boys, as each year passes it is one less year I have with them. How soon they will be grown and out on their own.

I can enjoy snuggling on the couch with my hubby. Finally getting the chance to watch those movies that have been sitting on the counter.

Most of all, this season will pass and the warm sunshine of Summer will be back upon us. These days gives us time to think up all the things to do come Summer time.

Happy Winter!





Olympia Turkey Trot ~

The 1st Annual Olympia Turkey Trot ~

It was 32 Degrees (a windchill of 28), snowy and icy, snow flurries, 323 runners, and 4 miles.

At the end was the promise of Starbucks, turkey dinner, and family.

I have been sick since Sunday, so my last work out was on Saturday. 4 days with out training and I can barely breathe. The race must go on.

I am bundled like a Eskimo:

All that is left of my outfit is my hat, scarf, and gloves.

Duncan thinks I'm crazy.

Maybe I am a little!

Sally and I head off to the park & prepare for a cold run.

The 8tart is signalled and we are off. The run around the lake is COLD. Makes me run a little bit faster. Then comes the Capitol Lake to the Capitol Campus hill of death. UGH. Even when you finish the hill, you turn the corner, and boom another incline. I hit mile 3 and want to die. I can't breathe and I have coughed and hacked my way through the race. Duncan is right, I'm crazy. I keep going - I have finished the first 3 miles, I can do one more. GO, Stacie, GO! The best thing, going down the hill of death. It's almost over. I round the corner by the park and see the finish line. RUN!!!!

Age Group 30-34:

9   #297   Stacie XXXXXXX   W32   Olympia, WA   9:35.2   38:30 Overall Place 137 of 323

Not bad. I am very impressed with myself, and everyday I am amazed at what my body can do.

I believe this is the last race of the year (unless I can talk Sally into the Santa Run in December).

The goal for next year...run a consistent under 9 minute per mile 1/2 marathon!

Snow Part II ~

I will take the cold...the extreme cold even, as long as we get to have some of this beautiful snow!

(Tuesday, November 23, 2010)

SNOW!

1st Snow of the Season - 11/21/2010

Gaming ~

You may remember this post: Gamers in the making

Well, I am an instigator:

3 toe-heads staring at Chicken Little.

Still Staring.....



Oh, hey there - did you need me?

Again - we don't get to play all that often. What else are you supposed to do on a cold and rainy afternoon? Oh, I know - read, color, play trucks...sometimes though, Mommy wants to play X-Box!

A 10K ~

On Sunday, November 7th, I very proudly ran my second 10K (6.2 miles).

I was so excited to finish the race in 56:30, a whopping 3 minutes and 20 seconds faster than the 10K 2 weeks early!

The race started off in a nasty, hailing down pour. I was ever so thankful I kept my sweet $5 Wal-mart long sleeve shirt on. On mile 2 the rain had stopped & I started to get cold. How do you get cold while running? And my shoe had become untied. So I stopped and tied my shoe & removed the soaked long sleeve shirt (which I ditched in the nearest trash can). We finished in sunshine, it didn't matter though - I was SOAKED!

I couldn't believe my time...makes me sooooooo excited for the next race.

The Olympia Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Morning!

Running for the finish!

Is that time right? Must be - official results: "56:30 179 Stacie Tellers F 32 Olympia"

Halloween 2010 ~

For the 2nd year in a row we decided not to go Trick or Treating door to door. Our last experience 2 years ago was not the best (wet, cold, and cranky kid spells nasty time for all).

Instead we have gone to our local YMCA. We love it for 2 reasons -

1) The kids play games in order to win a piece or two of candy. The kids have fun and it also limits the amount of candy to about 15 pieces.

2) It is held indoors! (Warmth and dryness!)

Levi was Thomas the Train (again!) and Alex was a Dragon-osaurus.

Levi and Alex getting ready to go inside.

Alex not liking his hood.

Levi is very excited to go in and play games!

Levi with his favorite candy - a Tootsie Roll

We had a great time and look forward to next year's adventures!

Ick.....

I have plenty of stuff to blog about, I promise to get to those items soon (Halloween, Running, etc).

Today, as I look outside, all I can say is ICK.

We are in for cold, wet, sloppy, nasty RAIN through Saturday.

A chance of SNOW showers on Sunday....then yes, more rain. Rain, RAin, RAIn, RAIN!

Oh how I wish I were here:

I would love to be right in the middle of the beach, with a lounge chair, a book, and an umbrella drink.

Ahhhhhh...one can dream.

A fruit in disguise...

Things that make you go "hmmmmm..."

Levi opened his fruit snacks today...and hiding inside was a gummi bear!

Life is full of surprises :)

Alex and his shoes...

Alex's obsession with Levi's shoes continues.

I know that shoe obsession is a stage kids go through.

But isn't it hysterical!

Chicken Dinner ~

I haven't posted a food post in a while.

Here is something new that I tried...Chicken Cordon Blue...it was pretty good, and the boys loved it!

Yum!

The only thing about this dish is that you have to pound the chicken flat. That took forever. Worth it though, since the dish was a hit.

Brotherly Love ~

I am so lucky to have two boys who love each other so much...



They play together...

Laugh together....

Swing together....

And hang out together...

I am so lucky to have these boys, and the responsibility of raising them. They make each day worth waking up for!

Seaside, OR

The 1st weekend in October we went to Seaside with my mom and dad.
The mission - to shop for new clothes for my new job.
Not only did we have an amazing time, great weather, and tons of fun --- we found tons of stuff for me to wear!

Here are some pictures from our weekend:

Levi loving the swing!

Alex figuring out that swinging is the best thing ever!



Mommy loving the swing...sort of!



I love this boy and he is getting so big :(

  

Grandma and Grandpa with the boys!

Alex's hint that he wants a bath.

Plum tuckered out.

We had such a great time and it was so nice to get away for a few days. The boys are growing up so fast. I have to treasure these moments.

Saying Goodbye ~

Well, it has been a month since I have posted. A lot has happened in the last 30 days. The first major thing is that I have left my job of 8.5 years. I was an accounting supervisor at a credit union. I love the people there and will miss them.

Saying goodbye is never fun, but getting to have the very exciting potluck was! Thank you to all the lovely ladies and gents that helped to put on the potluck, and for all the wonderful years together.

The Spread.

Jenn's Artwork.

The last flowers I'll get from work :(

My Co-Workers Screen Pic...Hysterical! I will miss it :)

Homemade peanut butter cup ice-cream. Thanks Chris!

Of Course - Cake!

More cake & a story is of course behind this artwork.

After a lovely day of food, sugar, and a few tears. I walked out of the building with out my security badge or keys. It was a little weird.

What was nice though, is on Friday, October 1st, I got to stay home! Levi, Alex, and I had breakfast together and I got to put Levi on the bus for the 1st time!!!

Breakfast with the boys.

Then Alex and I headed to the Y to work out. He went into playcare for the 1st time! Poor little guy, he was very confused! He did get to play with the yoga ball though. That was fun.

Wondering what the big ball is for!

After working out & picking Levi up from the bus, we headed to Seaside for the weekend. A nice break before mommy started her new job on 10/4! (that is another post though).

Good-bye old job...hello new one!