One Last Post....

Still three hours left for me to post one more time in 2012 to make up for the past two weeks....

We had a whirlwind Christmas vacation, as we traveled over 1,200 miles in less than a week, as we had to make it back for a wedding on the 29th.  As always, it was nice to be with family for the holidays, and we were able to pull off a white Christmas for the girls!

We first celebrated Christmas with Kellen and his girlfriend before we left. Kellen was able to be with us in Oregon the weekend before Christmas, but he had to return home to work both Christmas Eve and Christmas.

The rock is what Josh wrapped to foil their gift guess. It really was a date night. Note the nerf gun on the couch that Elizabeth got Kellen and Josh.

In Portland we celebrated an evening with extended family, then more family time with a brunch the following morning. There were a total of five generations at the celebrations.

Bradyn, the newest addition with his personalized Christmas Tree name placer since he slept through dinner:)

 

 

 

One of her favorite gifts, stylish headphones.

Jaelyn made us this ceramic cupcake at school....yum:)

Christmas morn we were on the road early, as we knew there would be snow along the way. Our typical five hour journey took eight hours. The girls couldn't wait to play in the snow, and in fact, Josh and two cousins joined them until well after sundown Christmas night. The next day we celebrated yet another Christmas with Mike's family.

Cousins!

This favorite gift was from Mame....Jaelyn wanted a tumbling outfit too, even though she is not in gymnastics. They put on many shows for us. Kaia always played the coach. It was very sweet.

A large percentage of the less than 48 hours we were here were spent playing in the snow!

We capped off the trip by celebrating Kaia's eighth "Gotcha Day" with our family, by going out to Chinese dinner with good friends in Salem on our trip home. We have been friends with the Whitehursts for nearly 25 years now, since our early days in the Navy. Hard to believe how time flies.

Whew, lots of distractions, but I finished the post with 1.5 hours to spare!  Happy New Year! Tomorrow, Jaelyn's birthday.

Big Day!

So it was a big day for the Crebbin household. First off, Kaia made her debut with the Island Flyer's, as Leaps & Bounds had a Christmas recital today. Kaia's the youngest on the team by two years, yet held her own. I was really proud of her not succumbing to nerves.  She has her first competition in January.


Throughout the day, Mike and Josh were texting me with Josh's progress at the Graham Morin Invitational Wrestling Tournament in Bellingham. Josh made it to the finals, where the girls and I were able to watch him take first place via the Internet! I asked Mike to send me a photo. Typical guy sent me this photo of Josh surrounded by another team's cheerleaders! Unfortunately it's grainy, but I thought everyone would get a kick out of it.

Cocoa's First Christmas...

Trust me, this photo session was not as calm as this picture leads one to believe! Cocoa was so excited to sniff every dog see Santa that I think one of my arms is longer than the other, due to all the pulling. I was surprised by what a calming affect Santa can have.

Just the opposite of Jaelyn's first Christmas with the family. Scrolling through photos recently I came across this one from 2006, after she had been with us about 6 months. She hated anyone in costume, and has only gotten over that in the last couple of years.

But even crying, isn't she adorable? Yeah, of course they all are:)

Like Father, Like Son...

John Fisken, a photographer from Oak Harbor Sports Report, sent me this picture today that he snapped of my boys at last night's wrestling meet. I think it is my new favorite of the two of them. I'll let the photo do the rest of the talking...

Another Letter...

This week Joshua earned another letter that he will wear proudly on his Letterman's jacket. However, this one was not for his prowess on the mat, but rather, a payoff for the hard work he has been doing in the classroom. Last year Joshua really got serious about his future as an architect, and turned it up in the classroom. To earn an academic letter you must have two consecutive semester's with a 3.5 or better. He did just that and more, and now he is continuing that success this year (and that's with three difficult AP classes).

And on the mat this season he is now 2-0! Last night's match is now archived at http://www.soundsportsnet.com/ (look for Mat cats chase away Mt. Vernon).  Next Thursday's meet is supposed to be live on the internet too. It's a double dual, so I believe it begins at 5:30 instead of 7:00.

Keep up the hard work Josh!

Holiday Blues...

No, I don't have the holiday blues; in fact, Christmas season is one of my favorite times of the year. However, not sure why, but I haven't been able to find the motivation to post lately. Not like I haven't had anything to post about. I guess at the end of the day when I plop sit down, I just can't find the energy. So after I catch you up to speed today, I am going to do my best to stay on top of things, despite the holiday hustle and bustle.

Speaking of holidays, here is my wonderful family patiently waiting for their long-awaited Turkey dinner. Aren't they the most precious group you've ever seen?

We did have a lot of fun family time and enjoyed a relaxing day. I did some cyber-shopping that night, and got a restful night's sleep!

The weekend of Thanksgiving we also got up our Christmas lights, but have slowly been adding more as our competitive nature comes out when the neighbors start decorating. This past weekend we put the tree up. If you followed the blog last year, you will remember the new tradition we were forced to begin when our favorite u-cut lot closed down. The up side to that is we were still able to get our tree on a blustery day without fighting the elements, as we were in and out in five minutes. And it all went for a great cause, helping an orphanage in Thailand! Kellen even joined us again, although he mainly handed out orders to his siblings rather than decorate the tree himself! As tradition calls, each child received an ornament representing something from this period of their life. Little did they know, but I had bought them all ornaments while we were at Disneyworld for Spring Break.  Kaia and Jaelyn got Princess ears, and the boys got Mickey. I had them personalized at Downtown Disney, and tucked them away when we got home. I almost forgot about them. Thank goodness I happened to come across them while wrapping some gifts:)

Here's the final product. I know you can't see it very well, but trust me, it looks great! And at least this family photo looks a bit more "normal" than the Thanksgiving one:)

I'm Back....

So after doing some investigating I have decided to suck it up and pay my $2+ a month to keep posting to my blog the same easy way I have been doing. I had considered following some multi-step free backdoor way someone else had posted steps to, but as I started following their instructions, I decided that sometimes it does not pay to be a tightwad. As the saying goes, time is money, so I saved myself the hassle and went for it. Perhaps I should put a paypal link on the sidebar to collect donations. Just kidding!

So now that I am back up and running, I will finish the post from Thanksgiving.  I started the writing and saved it, so not sure if it is going to appear before or after this post.  Thank you for reading all the way to the bottom of my rambling. Miss me?

Frustrated Blogger....

Please be patient with me as I figure out how to work around my frustrations with blogger.com.  Evidently they have decided to limit the amount of free photo space, so now want me to pay for it. It seems this is "suddenly" happening to many other bloggers too. I am going to investigate what others are doing before paying, as I am a cheapskate always looking for a bargain. I will be back with photos soon, either here, or at a new site. Stay tuned....

National Adoption Day...

In honor of National Adoption Day today, enjoy this video. May you find your own way to make a difference!

T1D 4 a Day....

I typically only post about my Type I Diabetes a couple times a year, as I don't find it makes for exciting reading material. Not that my other posts do, but I don't want to seem like I'm whining, and I really don't make it a focus of my life. However, since this is once again Diabetes Awareness Month, I found something that I thought would help many of you understand a typical day in the life of a T1 Diabetic.

It's called T1D for a day.  When you sign up, for the following 24 hours you will receive as many as 24 text messages over a 24-hour period that simulate the constant blood sugar testing, insulin injections, and dietary decisions that confront people with T1D. Sounds annoying, huh? Yep, I agree, but it is always in the back of your mind, 24-7. If you participate, be sure and comment back here and let me know how it went.

Is this the one???

We just got around to opening yesterday's mail, only to find that Josh was accepted to Portland State University. Now before you Oregonian's start getting too excited about him coming down there, he still is awaiting two other offers from colleges he has applied to. Following that, he will have to wait and see what dollar amounts various colleges are willing to entice him with. If PSU accepts Josh into their honors program, then he won't have to pay the absorbent out-of-state tuition, which would make it more comparable to the colleges here in Washington. Otherwise it is way more costly than the other choices. Josh wants to major in Architecture, yet stay within a few hours from home, so his choices are limited. Mike and I encouraged him to apply to UO also, but being raised in an anti-duck home, he cannot bring himself to do it!

So stay tuned over the next few months to see whether he ends up a Cougar, a Viking, or sports the purple and gold of the Huskies. Regardless of which, we are very proud of Joshua!

The fine print reads "Congratulations, You're a Viking!"

What Now???

It's true, after 25 years, the last 20 being a volleyball coach at Coupeville High School, last week I turned in my resignation. And yes, I shed a few tears, both at my final match, and again at this week's end of season banquet. So many fond memories that I can't even begin to share the stories. In preparing for the interview by the local sports editor, I went down memory lane so many times that it took me forever to complete his questionnaire. Thank you Lord for the opportunity to allow me to touch so many young ladies lives, if only for a "season."

One of my earliest years coaching, in Ridgecrest, CA....look at my sexy assistant!

The burning question now is....what now? Not really sure about that myself.  I don't think it has really sunk in yet. That itch of restlessness probably won't hit until next August, when it should be time to head back into the gym.

My final season

For now, just enjoying time with the kids and waiting to be a "wrestling widow" on Monday, when Josh and Mike officially head back to the mat.  You can read more on my career from our local paper today.
http://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/sports/177938781.html

Meet Chili...

Not sure if it's Chili or Chile, but nonetheless, he's the girls' new best friend...

Last Saturday Mike and I took the girls to cash in on the Horse Lesson we bought at an auction last December. Yep, nearly a year ago. Shame on us!

The girls first had to learn how to groom the horse, and they enjoyed brushing him and cleaning out his hooves. Maybe if she had made them scoop the poop, they wouldn't be nagging us so much about getting their own horse!

However, the best part was leading him to the covered arena (good thing, because it was raining) and getting to ride him.

Check out the grin!

Kaia got to trot Chili.

We found out they do trail rides in the spring/summer, so we just may have to make a trip back....

Amazing Opportunity....

If you are like me, you love a good bargain. Well do I have an amazing opportunity for you....

To anyone interested in earning a free Mission trip to one of 60 locations around the world, read on. Of course, I would want you to join my team's July 10-July 21 trip back to Chaoyang next summer if you won. One of my team members from two years ago was the recipient of this free trip! The drawing will be Dec. 3.

Here's how: Between November 1st and November 30th, any $25 purchase or general donation made on

our website will enter your name in the drawing to win a Visiting Orphans Mission Trip!
$25 = 1 entry. $50 = 2 entries!!! It's that simple!

1. Visit www.visitingorphans.org and browse our eSTORE. Any purchase of $25 or more (shipping+taxes excluded) during the month of November will enter your name in the drawing.
2. To make a general contribution* to Visiting Orphans HERE, select "Give.Love" from the pull-down menu. Your name will go in the drawing for every $25 you donate during the month of November.

* You can still win if you're already signed up for a 2013 trip!
* Team member fundraising with our merchandise still applies during this time.
- Be sure to include your name under 'Team Member Preference' at checkout and encourage others to help you fundraise for your trip!! (Because with every $25 purchase they make, THEY will be entered to win as well! You could be going on a trip together!)

 

Questions? Don't be shy; feel free to ask away...

One More Year...

Will this be Josh's last year Trick-or-Treating? Somehow I think not! Ever since he was little, he has always enjoyed dressing up, so why should his senior year be any different? No, it was not an "official" dress-up day at his school, but he went dressed as Samwise Gamgee regardless. I doubt he told any of his friends he was wearing my vest and sweater as part of his costume though. Doesn't he look cute? My boys have always loved Lord of the Rings as much or more than Star Wars, and both read the trilogy. We can't wait for The Hobbit to be released later this year.

And yes, Joshua not only wore this to school, but he went out trick-or-treating with his girlfriend, who of course, was dressed up as a Jedi!

Kaia was a Princess Genie (she insisted that the clashing orange socks were Halloween appropriate) and Jaelyn was a Scary Cat. I don't think she looked very scary, but for some reason she really wanted to come off as scary and made a lot of hissing sounds!

The weather outside is not-so-nice, so I "volunteered" to stay home and hand out candy. My kids think it is funny that every year I tally the number of trick-or-treaters that come by our house. This is due to fond memories of Halloweens spent at my grandparents, and that is something they always did. Our numbers are down tonight, probably due to the weather, but this is what my tally looks like so far:

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Speaking of weather, my heart goes out to all the families affected by Hurricane Sandy. Wish life was "normal" for them tonight, and praying that things look brighter soon.

Senior Night #1....

The rain held off long enough Friday night for us to honor the football team's seniors without umbrellas! Altogether there were 30+ seniors, so the lineup took up nearly 50 yards. Of course, I was most captivated by #64, and honored when he asked me to don his jersey for the evening.

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Jaelyn still loves her "Dale" hat she got in D-World, better worn in 40+ weather than the 90° of Orlando

Couldn't turn away from Dad this time!

Unfortunately the team didn't pull off the win this night, but did capture the 4th place position for playoffs. First playoff game is this Friday at Peninsula HS, nearly three hours away, so we will be listening over the Internet and cheering in our hearts! So proud of Josh and how he carries himself! And no, I didn't cry, but I'm thinking wrestling season is going to be a different story...

Spoiler....

Don't say I didn't warn you, but there is no "Pot of Gold" at the end of a rainbow. I was riding the ferry yesterday when I saw this over the water. I could clearly see both ends of the rainbow on the water, but the ferry window didn't allow me to capture the entire rainbow on my camera screen. I felt like the captain could have steered the ferry right through the center of it.

I wonder what a rainbow looks like from the underside....

Somewhere Between...

Cried real tears like I haven't cried in awhile as I sat through this movie today. Didn't want it to end though.  I found it highly insightful, and has me thinking. What exactly though, I don't know.  It was worth the two hour drive to Seattle to see it, and I think I will definitely buy the video when it comes out. Someday I will sit down and watch it with the girls, but it's not time yet....

Off with a Bang....

This morning started with a bang, not because it was my birthday, but because we had an abnormal start to a fall day with a thunderstorm! I enjoyed not having to get up early and being able to lay in bed listening to the rumbles. Even better yet, I enjoyed being served coffee and a delicious white chocolate raspberry scone in bed while listening to the storm.

After the 9 am soccer games were cancelled due to the inclement weather, the skies made a quick change to sunshine, where the whole family gathered in the sunshine to watch Jaelyn's soccer game. I then got to open presents at home, before everyone scooted off in different directions.

After I was spoiled, Kaia took off for a birthday slumber party, Josh headed off for the Homecoming Dance, and Kellen, Jaelyn, Mike and I headed out to eat for a delicious Italian dinner with gelato for dessert.

His girlfriend is crazy about Star Wars too!

Mike playing around with the Instagram app on his birthday present to himself, his iphone 5

Oh October!

There just isn't enough free time in October for me to post all that goes on around here! I am going to attempt to catch everyone up to speed with what we have been doing in two posts, so here is the first one. For the most part I will let the photos speak for themselves!

Soccer season has one week left, and the Pink Pop Rocks have really improved. Here they are a coupe weeks ago, when they all sprayed their hair pink...

Jaelyn scored four or five goals just today alone! I still love watching her play, as no matter what, she is running down the field with a big ole' grin on her face.

Mike's birthday was about 1.5 weeks ago, and the whole family was having fun celebrating together.

Next up, my volleyball team's Dig Pink night. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One of my team members mother was recently diagnosed with it, so we decided to show our support by having a pink night. We even topped it off with a win!

The JV squad.

Me and my team.

My favorite cheerleaders!

Some of our fans cheering us on.