Our New Year got off to a better than usual start with a visit from Crystal and her children. They flew in on Dec. 30th, so Alex could spend the last 1/2 of his Christmas break with his dad. Alex went to his dad's on Dec. 31st. and Crystal will be staying with us. This was Owen's first plane trip. He was good, except for the "diaper blowout" at 12,000 feet.
On New Year's Eve, Crystal and her friends went to the Hoof and Holler at the fairgrounds. It is a rodeo with bull riding and a dance afterwards. They stayed for the rodeo only and she was home about 10:00. Payton and I played and Owen slept the whole time Crystal was gone. Jim had to chaperone the church dance, so I had to wait to kiss my honey after midnight.
New Year's day was spent watching football (The Rose Bowl was a big disappointment. Where was Penn State's game?). We are still sulking about the Beavers not making it there. Anyway, we played guitar hero, which I am horrible at, watched movies, ate goodies and just hung out.
They all got ready in the morning and then Jim and I drove them to the airport. Good bye, Sophia and Owen.
Goodbye Addy and Payton.
Goodbye Alex and Crystal. One of the stewards on the jet asked Crystal if all 5 kids were hers!
The night before they left, Grandma Darla invited us to Pizza King so we could all get together one more time and Crystal could see her friends.
Here's Lyndsey, Crystal, Jessica and Nicole.
There was face painting and a play area. Here's Payton and her friends, Maddie and Annie.
Annie and Payton choose how they want their faces painted.
Payton and her friends almost fell asleep getting their faces painted. It was halarious to watch how relaxed they were. Almost like a face massage.
Here are the 3 little cuties, 2 butterflies and 1 ladybug.
Madam Butterfly Payton.
Bye Bye, grandma kathy and grandpa jim miss you already!!
Blow out all 8 candles.
Addy, birthday girl-Sophia, and Jeff.
Aunt Crystal has been visiting us, so her and Alex and Payton got to come to the party too.
Grandpa and Sophia. Grandpa was swimming earlier, this is the end of the night. The waves are turned off in the wave pool behind them.
Three cousins cruisin' the wave pool.
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry - OMSI
There are all kinds of learning stations, with hands on places to test all your senses. There are game boards like this one. They ask a question and you lift the pictures to find the answers.
I am glad that these 3 young animals spent the day with me.
"Can you hear me now?" The kids really liked all the activities that tested their ears.
Sophia thought this was fun. Cut a cup in a way that you think the forced air will hold it up, after several experiments, this one worked for her.
We toured the Bluejack submarine that is in the river below the OMSI building.
This is a double chute bottle rocket area. I think the kids would have stayed here all day long, filling the bottles with various amounts of water and air. Several times they made the bottle reach it's full potential, to the ceiling.
This was interesting. A computer took a picture of your face, then it had a sliding scale that showed your face from 20 to 80 years old. This is Sophia's face 30 years from today.
This 6 lbs. ball looks 60 lbs. with this cute little girl holding it.
She sends her ball down the lane.
She likes to get a good view as all the pins get mowed over.
Owen is impressed by our "professional" bowling skills, "WOW, that's some good bowling!"
We went to a place in Salem that has all sorts of fun things to do for little kids, good for ages 2-8.
Little houses and kitchens and a dress up area.
It had a tricyle run, but Annie and Payton's legs were too short, so Jessica was the "power".
Payton started out on the little slide. She was scared to go down the big slide.
But peer pressure finally got to her and she followed Annie up the ramp to the BIG slide.
Then she thought . . . "Oh no, what have I done?" But after she slid down she did a "celebration dance", she was so pleased with herself.
Annie thought she had enough sand and decided to "relax in the beach chair".
That is where we went to end our fun day, Yummy!
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