DELTA MAE'S NUTCRACKER PERFORMANCE

I mentioned way back in September how excited I was when I found out that Delta Mae's new dance studio performed The Nutcracker. And was even more thrilled to hear that they allowed all of their dancers to be a part of the show, should they choose too.

We chose to. =)

Delta Mae's final dress rehearsal was this past Friday night followed by her performance on Saturday's 1:00 pm show. Videoing wasn't allowed during the show but I took a lot of photos during rehearsal and during her performance. Check out our Adorable Angel.

She's on the bottom row, seated with the angels on the left side of the photo, second from the center.

I just love the way she would look at the big girls. She was mesmerized by them and it was so sweet to see.

During the downtime, you could find her doing this. =)

We made our way to Newberg High School on Saturday and after dropping her off backstage, we swiftly got in line to enter the auditorium. It was general admission seating only and we wanted seats up close. We were able to get seats on the second row and Chicken could spot us from the stage. She smiled so big at us and waved for what seemed like forever before joining the rest of the girl for the routine. 

Homegirl pictured above was incredible and had like four different roles during the performance.

And there's our Sweetie Pie!

They did the final bow, we collected our Tiny Dancer and brought her back home for a special meal - mac + cheese... Her choice. I wanted to take her out to eat. She wanted to get home.

Later that evening she came down with a tummy bug that hung around for the rest of the weekend, which was a bit of a bummer. You see, there were three performances and only one of them was professionally recorded. It was the Sunday show and Delta Mae was sick so we couldn't attend, resulting in no video for us to have. Womp. womp. Maybe next year.

Anywho, we love you Chicken! You were the Most Beautiful Angel!

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PUMPKINS + PAINTED HAY BALES

 I'm pretty excited about what the fall months bring: warm, colorful foliage, pumpkin patches, apple orchards, + foggy mornings. Life in the Upper West Corner also means we can expect an abundance of rain showers, which is precisely why I took the kids to our first pumpkin patch of the season yesterday. Rain was forecasted for the weekend but Friday afternoon was clear, warm and sunny.

After we picked up Wyatt from school, we made our way to  Ryser's Farm. I pass this farm every time I take Delta Mae back + forth to preschool and thought it was time we stop in + have a look around. The kids had the most fun feeding the goats. There were two goats in particular that didn't appear to get along - at least not while we were there. They would occasionally head-butt each other and stomp their feet. It made for a great show. Wyatt + Delta Mae were belly laughing, which made my heart happy.

We very much enjoyed the time spent there and left with some adorable photos. And of course, a couple of pumpkins.

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WYATT'S FIRST FLAG FOOTBALL GAME

 I truly never thought this day would ever come. Turns out, you can only press your desires onto your children so much. Sports have always been a thing that Brad + I both loved and wanted our kids to enjoy and participate in. We had given tee-ball, buddy-ball, and basketball a try, but Wyatt's heart was never in it - evidenced by him running up and down the basketball court with his arms out like an airplane during nearly every game last year. =/

Thankfully, his love for Taekwondo hasn't diminished.

But last week, we were driving in the car and he asked if he could play football this year. I don't recall his exact words but he mentioned something regarding the men that play in the Superbowl. The next day he asked Brad about playing, so I took it upon myself to see if signing up for the flag-football league was still an option.

It was!

I picked him up from school and told him the great news last Friday. We picked up some hand-me-down cleats at the local Play It Again Sports ($9.99 Nike's were a total steal) and a PeeWee football.

And then Sunday, after church and lunch (#Priorities) we arrived at Field #2 for Wyatt's first EVER flag football game. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves for a bit and fill you in more at the end.

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ADORABLE THINGS || BACK TO SCHOOL 2016

Not so surprising, I'm definitely talking about my children and their Back To School Photos! Wyatt started Second Grade and Delta Mae started her First Year of Preschool this week. Yes, that's right. She's never been to preschool or daycare before. Just a whole lot of one-on-one time with her Mama. =)

Let's get started with Wyatt's First Day, which was Tuesday, September 6. He asked for pancakes shaped like a bat and sausage for breakfast. Apparently, he thinks I'm a pancake molding genius. I'm not - but I tried. He said he loved them even though the wings broke off during the flipping-over process. Sweet Boy.

He was happy to oblige me with some sweet smiles before heading off to school.

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THE ONE WITH THE CHEESE + THE COAST

 On Friday, I loaded up the kids and headed toward the coast. All I really had in mind for us to do was to visit the  Tillamook Cheese Factory. Sampling cheeses. Eating ice cream. It's a dairy lovers dream, right?

Yes. Yes, it is.

So we went. It was busy but the kids and I enjoyed seeing the cheese move along the conveyor belt and get sliced and packaged.

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EXPLORING OREGON || CRATER LAKE

This past weekend we took a family road trip south + visited Crater Lake, a location that's been on my bucket list since the first time we lived in Oregon. We timed it just right as the one and only hiking trail that leads to the shore of the lake was scheduled to be closed for repairs the following day (today) and won't be accessible until next summer.

We didn't partake in any tours but rather took it upon ourselves to drive around the rim and make the trek down Cleetwood Cove Trail to the shoreline. The hike was classified as "strenuous" due to the steep grade (there's a 700-foot elevation change in 1.1 miles) but the Little Brumfields powered through. Wyatt was a brave soul and was the only one of us that took a swim in the chilly lake waters that have an average temp of 59°F in August. I only stood in the water for a bit. Brad stuck with Delta Mae - it was just too rocky to get her close to the water.

Here are a few quick tidbits about Crater Lake:

• At 1,943 feet, it's the deepest lake in the US; visibility is 140 feet.
• It's clarity + intense blue color are a result of it only being fed by rain and snow. No rivers or streams lead to the lake. 
• Some 7,700 years ago, a caldera formed when Mount Mazama, a volcano, erupted and later collapsed. Crater Lake rests inside the caldera.
• Wizard Island formed during a later eruption.
• Crater Lake is 4.5-6 miles wide.

Hands down, this was my favorite place to see in the State of Oregon to date. It was just So Stunning. Marvelous. Grand. #AllTheFancyWords This wonder of God was too amazing to capture in photographs, but I gave it my best shot. Here are my photos.

If you're planning a trip, you might be interested to know that they DO NOT SELL BOTTLED WATER at the Rim Cafe. You can purchase a water bottle at the gift shop but it's going to cost you a pretty penny. We'll file that one under lesson learned.

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HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY, WYATT!

Wyatt,

Today you are seven years old! I still call you Mr. Big Stuff but the nickname fits you for different reasons. I started calling you that when you were a baby because you were so chunky. So very chunky. These days, you're not chunky. Not at all. You are long + lean. So long, in fact, that I have already begun stretching your blue jeans after I pull them from the washer and letting them hang dry. If I didn't, you'd be in high-waters. (You're welcome.) Big. Stuff.

Also, you still love to laugh and to make people laugh. Many of the times when you would get in trouble at school it was because you did something or said something that you thought was funny. You've recently made up a few jokes of your own lately. I'm pretty impressed, too!

• What kind of flower will you find in the sky? A hot-air bloom.
• What kind of fight do shoes get into? San-duals.

Keep it up, Buddy! I love to hear the things you come up with. And if your aspirations of becoming a Ninja Master don't work out, maybe you'll become a Stand-up Comedian.

I still worry for you. I guess as a parent that never goes away, just the things we worry about change. There are times when I feel like you are being mistreated by other kids your age, but it seems to go over your head. Kind of like you have no idea that you're being bullied. Maybe that's for the best.

When you are hurt, you cry, whether it's emotional or physical. You're a Gentle Giant, Buddy. A lover, not a fighter, unless your sister's involved. You have no problem reciprocating a whack at her.

I remember bringing you home from the hospital, placing your carrier on the table, and thinking to myself what now? Seven years later and sometimes I still have the same thought. Like what to say when you ask a tough question. Many times, more than I can count, I say, "let's ask Dad," because I don't have a clue! He usually does.

I heard a Christian comedian, Tim Hawkins, talk about people praying for a "hedge of protection" to be placed around their loved ones. He followed it up with,

"A hedge, huh? I don't mean to complain, but is that the best you can do? How about a thick, cement wall?"

Ha! So that's what I will pray God protects you with. A thick, cement wall. I love you, My Dear. I pray that you feel it and see it every day.

Hugs,

Mama

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WYATT'S BIRTHDAY WEEKEND

Hi! We're back again, after a weekend of fun with the almost birthday boy. We started off the Birthday Weekend Celebrations at The Cheesecake Factory. It was National Cheesecake Day and they were offering half-off cheesecake slices. We had to go in for a treat. Then I pretty much went MIA on social media for the next 48 hours (which quite possibly will become our new norm) but here's what we were up too!

|| Saturday, July 30 ||

First up, donuts for breakfast. #BecauseWeekend #BecauseBirthday #JustBecause 

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DELTA MAE'S 4TH BIRTHDAY FUN

Delta Mae turned  four years old this past Tuesday so I thought I'd share a little recap of what her birthday looked like. It was a day full of sugar and activities, pretty much what all four year olds crave, right? Here's how we celebrated with the Birthday Girl!

|| First Things First ||

We started the morning with Presents + Singing + Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes.

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FOUR YEAR OLD DELTA MAE

 

Delta Mae (aka Chicken),

You're four! You are the absolute, most incredible Little Lady. We tell you how beautiful you are all of the time and I guess that's why you will often refer to yourself as the "most beautiful girl" in the room, picture, world, etc. Of course, we agree, but, shhh... you don't have to tell everyone. You toot + claim it more than a lady should.  You've said things that have made us laugh 'til we cried.

• "This is peace ONLY if you keep your mouth closed."
• "Da doughnut word is in my head all day."
• "I can't finish my sammach because my hands are tired."

For me, you are making life a lot easier. It doesn't take an hour to get you to finish your meal. You don't have night time accidents. You ask to go to bed, often before bedtime. Speaking of bedtime, your routine hasn't changed. It still includes reading a book followed by singing Jesus Loves Me together. You sleep without a night light, but with your door open.

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WYATT + DELTA MAE'S NINJA PARTY

Yesterday Wyatt and Delta Mae's friends joined them at our neighborhood's community center to celebrate their birthdays with a Ninja Themed Party. We had an hour to set-up before our guests began arriving, but hurried along and got it all done.

What I didn't do was take any pictures. Yes, that's right. Not the first picture.

After returning home, I took a few pictures of some of the decorations I made, but I don't have their birthday table decor documented the way I would've hoped. Remind me next time to slow down and snap a few pictures.

Shuo Sheng took some great photos and shared them with me, and thank the good Lord for that. This post wouldn't have been possible without him. Shall we get started?

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EXPLORING IDAHO

So here's the deal. I had no idea that Yellowstone National Park had roads that opened and closed during certain seasons. Ignorant of me? Probably. But the fact remains that I was blissfully unaware of the closures until the day before we were planning on loading up the family for our Spring Break Roadtrip. Did this stop us from taking a trip? Absolutely not.

On Sunday, we loaded up the family and headed east, finally stopping in Boise, Idaho for the night. We took a walk through the Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial and then continued walking along the  Boise River Greenbelt to stretch our legs a bit.

Pretty cute kids, if I do say so myself.

Next thing you know, it's Monday morning and all we had planned to do was to drive out to the Mammoth Caves, but along the way we passed Malad Gorge.

It was a pretty incredible sight. This photo pictured above was taken less than a mile from the interstate. It's worth pulling over for.

Then on to the caves. I must admit - I was a bit skeptical once we arrived.

This was the scene. Junk cars and peacocks. Everywhere. I tried to cover-up what I was thinking (Where in the heck have you led your family, Brettni!) in an effort to keep the kids excited, but I was concerned...

Luckily, the kids said they had a fun time walking into the deep, dark abyss. It was just the four of us armed with two propane lanterns. I was kind of creeped-out and felt like I needed a bath after we left.

Here is where I tell you that BLOGGER FRIENDS ARE THE BEST FRIENDS! I didn't have a clue as to what to do next. But I knew a blogger that lived in Idaho, so I messaged her an S.O.S. and she saved us! Karli, the blog writer at September Farm, said McCall was her "absolute most favorite place in Idaho," and people, I now know why. We drove to McCall and were swept away by the beauty of the city and the kindness of the people that call that fine place home.

Our view from the car on the drive north from Boise to McCall. It was dark and late once we arrived, but we woke-up to a fresh batch of soft white snow falling and nothing but white for as far as you could see.

On the night of our arrival, I mentioned to our hotel concierge that while Brad and I had seen some deer walking through town, our son wasn't able to spy any of them. He recommended that we go to  Hap + Florence Points to take a sleigh ride through an area where wild elk come to feed. The next morning, there was another fine lady, Jessica, that called and scheduled a time for our family to see the elk.

People, this was incredible.

The elk were all around us. Probably twenty or so that encircled the sleigh to fed off of the hay bales we were using as seats and triple (or more) close by. If you ever get the pleasure of traveling to the McCall area, reach out to these people and check this place out!

We made our way back into town and went for a little stroll through the shops and around Payette Lake.

While in McCall, the restaurants we visited were Lardo's Grill + Saloon, TJ's Cutting Edge Cafe, The Salmon River Brewery, + The Pancacke House. While we enjoyed the service and meals at each of them, my top two favorites were Salmon River Brewery + Lardo's.

We called Best Western Plus our home for two nights and we highly recommend using them. The family that manages Best Western also runs the wild elk feeding tour that I mentioned in the last post. They were such great people and the wife, Jessica, is from the Portland Area.

We loved you, McCall! Can't wait to see you again.

On to Sisters, Oregon we went.

Brad picked up a scrumptious pizza from  Martolli's for supper on the night we arrived and we took the night off: we stayed in, watched tv for too long, and slept in late the next morning. But before leaving for home the next morning (today) we made a quick stop off at  Sister's Bakery. #BecauseDoughnuts

Spring Break 2016 is a wrap! #BrumfieldsBreakInSpring

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