The Blog Lives on...

Hi all. What's happening? Summer's end means school's beginning. By that, I mean new schools for every Pedersen in our family! Matt moved to Sunset High School Vice Principal and and quickly adjusted to the Purple and White. (I've enjoyed adding a purple shirt and tie to his wardrobe.) He is part of a stellar team that is driven for success. High school really is his thing!

Lane is officially a high school kid at Liberty. In advanced classes and enjoying the social thing, he embracing the new scene. The highlight, he was accepted into Leadership Class. Basketball and other workouts will start soon. Lane spent some of his summer babysitting and on various trips with his friends. He just recently met the 5'10" height, giving him a 1/4 in. advantage over me. (A sad moment for me.)

Ashlyn is at the same daycare/preschool but in a different house. That was her big change. One of the oldest, she is a "leader" there, giving her opportunities to push the stroller on long walks, sit at the counter, help with dishes, etc. She loves it. At home, she is a free spirit. She is in charge and we are doing our best to allow her tho thrive with rules. :)

My job is now at Aloha High School. Yes, I was one of the lucky 350 that got transferred in our district. In opposition at first, I am now really enjoying my new home. The staff and students are amazing, and the change was good for me. I am blessed with 9th grade students (Oh, Lane could be one of my students!) and also seniors in a Writing Lab. I am so fortunate to have a job.

Bring on Fall. Love this time of year! Soon we'll be wrapping up to brave the crisp mornings. Yay for football, Ashlyn's soccer and Lane's basketball in the winter.

Cheers and love to you all.

Surprise!!

Back by popular demand! How are all of my followers? (All 3 of you!) Curious to know about recent happenings in Hillsboro, Oregon? Here it goes...

Little One is not so "little" anymore. A spark plug rather. Fifty-two pounds and 43 inches of charm, she can smile her way to most anything--with her dad. He enters the room, and game over. Who's mom? (I think I'm the daycare lady.) She loves to read or tell stories from the pictures in her books. Puzzles are also a favorite, and lately, she's taken an interest in helping prepare food and cookies. She loves to paint and play games on the ipad. Her favorite pastime, I would day, is hanging out with Lane--often that means pestering him. :)

Sometimes a pest himself, and three weeks away from being 14, Lane is even busier now than before. He is currently into baseball and spring basketball. At 5'9" and almost 120 lbs., he is turning into quite the adolescent. Of course, he loves friends, ipad games and Xbox games. Lane recently became a "certified babysitter" and watches Ashlyn on occasional nights out. He's quite good with her, and she responds well to him. His grades are good--mostly A's with a B or two. It won't be long before he's in high school and driving--yikes! (Oh, he's already saving up for a car.)

Other news--spring break over and Easter almost here. We got some things organized around the house: a play structure assembled, Ashlyn's room painted, seeds planted outdoors, etc. Next week, we'll head to Medford to visit my family. We still enjoy our gym--Lane basketball, Matt and I lifting weights. I will do 3 more runs this spring--a 10-mile in a week, and 2 half marathons in May. So much fun!

Wishing you the very best this spring. Cheers!

Not a No-News November

Where do I begin? Weather in Portland, as you know, is sunny some days, rainy others. And, so is life. We have so much joy in our lives. Lane and Ashlyn are so cute, everyday, in their own ways. Our family is so much fun! We moved into our new house, and it's starting to come together. Lane entertained his friends this weekend. Ashlyn is meeting some of the smaller kids in the neighborhood--there are many. Overall, I have to say, we love it!! Lane just finished up his fall basketball season, scoring 17 points in his last game. Ash finished her soccer season, scoring lots of goals each session. :) Halloween was a blast--Lane a hippie (in his 6th grade costume) and Ashlyn Rapunzel. Matt will turn 36 on Wednesday--Happy Birthday, Matt!!

There cannot be sun in Portland without rain. Sadly, our dear friend, Krista Maffia, passed a week ago. She fought a long, tough battle against cancer. We are proud of her and appreciate all of the lessons she taught us in life. Truly, she was a hero, her family always first, and still, despite her illness, was able to smile and shine each and every day. We think of her daily and will miss her dearly. She leaves behind an amazing husband, Cassio, and three girls. Donations can be made at any US Bank under the Maffia Girls' Fund.

The holidays are near, the gifts of life all around us. We are blessed each and everyday with our good health, our family, our jobs, and the list could go on for pages. Thank you for the love you show us and for taking the time to read this page. Peace in the month of November.

Fall Frenzy!

I hope this update finds you in warm, fall spirits. This is truly a great time of year. Bronze and golden colors all around us, we are gearing up for another school year and approaching holiday season. Could life be better?

Let's begin with recent activities. Getting ready for Halloween, we visited a pumpkin patch last weekend. Not sure about when the decorations will go up since we're currently getting ready to move. Yikes--don't mean to be unspirited. Matt will head to Missoula this weekend to catch a Grizzly game. I have been pretty involved with school work and trying to exercise. (Although, my basketball career tragically ended with a torn ACL.)

The kids are most certainly busy these days. Lane with his basketball and friends, Ash with soccer (she chose that over dance), when do we have time for a life? That is our life.

But, we most certainly enjoy it and have no regrets!!

Please drop us a line soon. It would be great to hear from you.

Too Much Partying!

Years ago, my fatigue would be a result of time spent consuming an excess of yummy fruity beverages or spending too much time out in general. In the present, however, I am going to have to say that Ashlyn turning 3 is the reason. It all began with a week in Billings with the lovely Pedersen women while the men were fishing their hearts out at Wollaston Lake in Canada. Everyday was an adventure--coffee, scrumptious cooking, water play, shopping, a birthday party, etc. (It was such a good time that we decided to title it "The Pedersen Women's Retreat"--next year it will be in a tropical location, we're thinking.) The men, by the way, were quite prolific--catching 450 fish overall! They had a great time together and are already thinking of another trip in 3 years.
Our cooler full of Matt's fish collection, we returned to Portland for another birthday party--this one with friends. They kids bounced and jumped like crazy at a local party establishment and then had cupcakes and presents. A fun time for all!

Now we are on the countdown--the countdown to summer ending. Boo hoo!!! What can we possibly cram into this last week before the speed of life increases by 10 (otherwise known as the school year)? Playing, playing, playing, and Medford, school shopping, organizing, etc. Like I said, there's still lots to do! :)

Plenty of Pictures!

The Fourth of July marked the finale of our vacation, and a fine celebration it was. Fireworks with other families in our neighborhood at the park! Ash, a bit reluctant about fireworks, soon discovered what all the hype was about.


The Howard Johnson--HoJo for short. A place to stay for $50 just to sleep, we were fine with the sacrifice. You sleep anywhere after 8 hours of driving. We were quickly finding out that driving with small children is a journey filled with lots of potty, ice cream and play stops. Carrie, Peter, Ella (9) and Brady (3)--our partners in crime--made each stop memorable and interesting.




Our first vision of palm trees--we were arriving in warmer, more tropical places. Yes!!











Lane and Ash were enjoying their time together at first. Toward the end, not so much. Who would be the antagonist this hour?--a game they created themselves. (We were wondering how a 13-year old could play both roles in that game...)



Family photo #1 at Venice Beach. Warm beach water, sun and interesting culture...

We all had our time in the water with the kids. They did some sand exploration as well finding sand crabs, burying each other, talking to locals, etc. (Ash introduces herself to strangers, dances with them, plays with random kids, and just sits down where she wants. It's really quite comical but also a task to keep an eye on her.)






























We spent the next day at the Promenade and pier in Santa Montica. What a fun place with local merchants showcasing their talents.









Ashlyn enjoyed a little breakdancing--I think that's what it was--with some local artists. Not shy at all. When the spectators clap, she thinks they are clapping for her...
Does she have a future in entertainment, I'm not sure. (Why didn't we put a bucket out for her?)







"Tomorrow, when we wake up, we will see Woody and Buzz." We heard those words from Ash dozens of times before the trip. Finally, as we entered into California Adventures, there was Woody and Buzz. CHECK!! Whew! What if we never saw them? She was ecstatic to say the least.




































These were some long days at the park. Most days naps happened at the hotel, but this time, she just couldn't wait--neither could Brady.










Lane. We weren't sure how Lane would take his first trip to Disneyland. He was awesome! Waited in long lines for his exhilarating, heart-stopping rides and even waited in line with Ash for the kiddy rides--what a great kid! And, I'm pretty sure he had at least 256 various beverages during that time. (He and Matt are enjoying the Indiana Jones ride.)







Okay, I'll show Tigger some love.













Lane's thoughts: "Do I really have to stick around for this parade with all of these ridiculous princesses? Seriously."



The bunch.




Next up--Sea World. Our 4th day of activities, and I'll just say that our speed slowed down quite a bit. We were already beginning to feel the fatigue that sets in. But, Sea World was awesome!!-- Shamu and the whales, the kids pet dolphins, saw turtles, Nemo, sea lions, penguins, starfish--that Ash kept picking up out of the water, and the guys would have to remind her to keep them underwater--sharks, a dog show, Elmo and Ernie, and lots of water!!




The zoo was our final day and even our 1st travel day for our journey back. So, needless to say, we were tired, anxious for the drive, and just feeling like dorks. Luckily, we took the bus tour at the beginning as it showed us most of the animals, and we didn't have to walk anymore. (Should I mention that I had 6 blisters healing from the previous days' marathon walks?)




These trees are big!!

The Redwood Forest.












Overall, Lane's top 5 of the trip:

1) California Screaming
2) Shamu Show
3) Space Mountain
4) Tower of Terror
5) Boogie boarding in the ocean

#2,000,000) The long drive.


Ash's top 5:

1-5) Seeing "Woody and Buzz"

Her only regret, she wanted to "give love" to Tangled (Rapunzel). The lines were always so long, and her visiting hours were short. But, she did blow a kiss to Ash in the parade. :)