Bad Bubblegum

The pictures say it all...

Puppet Show

The Squid Rocking It

Free Time With K'nex

Beautiful Even in Winter/Spring

Oregon is as beautiful as ever! Just a tad too chilly this time of year to go camping. I had to dress like an Eskimo on our two mile bike ride just to keep warm. Luckily Cory thinks it's endearing that the Alaska Girl is the only one dressed for coming winter instead of spring. We went for a family bike ride along the river in the Champoeg State Park. We roasted marshmallows, hot dogs and green beans for dinner and spent time practicing with the bow and arrow.

Favorite Things About the Camping Trip

• Camille: Watching Gabriel have a nervous breakdown on the bike path thinking we would never reach the motorhome before dark.


• Cory: S'mores with chocolate cookies.


• Gabriel: S'marshmallows and hot dogs.
  

Funny Face

Gabriel has the ability to look like such an angel and then in the very next moment look like a total goofball. What a wonderfully diverse little boy I have!

An Adult @ Last

In my family, you are not an adult until you reach the age of thirty. The Tanner side of the family must think this is pretty humorous, though they go along for the ride. Cory requested a flour-less chocolate cake with fudge topping so that's what he got. Because adults as well as children should get whatever type of cake they scream for.

Let Them Eat Candy Houses

Gabriel's class started their gingerbread houses before winter break, but because Portland doesn't have enough snowplows to clear the roads, any threat of snow causes the school district to close down the schools. So the last half of the week before winter break was pretty disappointing. The kids were pretty bummed out not being able to put on a puppet show, make holiday cookies or complete their gingerbread houses. Luckily Gabriels' teacher decided that in January they would finish their masterpieces of sugar and candy. I came into the class that day to help tend to the sugar induced madness. Later when Gabriel returned home we added some fun details to his candy home to make it picture perfect. Delicious too!!!

Turning Six!

Gabriel turned 6 on the 1st of January, 2009. We celebrated at the children's museum in Portland. There were balloons, cake, ice cream, four guests, three extra parents, and tons of presents. It was poke'mon madness everywhere. The cake, presents, cups and plates were decked out in his favorite characters. The kids played in the water area, made clay sculptures, ran amuck in the play area and played both tag and chase. All in all it was a great day. Afterwards we came home, ate pizza and watched Wall-E.

New and exciting things this year!

• Turned 5
• Sold condo in Utah
• Moved to Las Vegas, NV
• Went camping in Goblin Valley and had a small mishap with fire ants
• Traveled to Disneyland
• Went to San Francisco for a family vacation
• Lived with Grandpa Tanner in West Jordan, UT for a few weeks
• Lived in a motor home for about a month
• Took my training wheels off my bike
• I help Dad make leather bracelets and clay figurines
• Moved to Portland, OR
• Went to Oktoberfest
• Started kindergarten
• Watched my Aunt Chelsa run in the Portland Marathon
• Had a Halloween party in out new house
• Made Christmas cookies with Mom
• Had Christmas with my Aunt Chelsa and her family for the first time ever

Shake Your Booty

Just a break dancer at heart is our little Gabriel. Pulling funny faces and getting his groove on!

*Raspberry Lemon Thumbprint Cookies*

The Story:

Christmas cookies this year were just beautiful and ever so yummy! We had a blast making them as a family and sending them out to our loved ones. The raspberry cookies were the biggest hit though. Or at least that's what I've heard. Begging came from all around, but Kristen's voice was the most persistent. Her being pregnant I decided to indulge. The day before she was induced I baked her a batch, which was promptly gobbled up by the whole household! Baby Jonas is here arriving on the 17th of January hitting the scales at 7 lbs 7 oz and 19 1/2 inches long. The sweetest cookie could not compare to how sweet that little angel is.

The Recipe:

1/2 cup raspberry jam or jelly
1 tablespoon Chambord or kirsch
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly butter or spray 2 large baking sheets.

In a small bowl, combine the jam and Chambord. Stir to combine.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to blend.
In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy.
Beat in the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla.
Add the flour mixture in 2 additions and beat just until moist clumps form.
Gather the dough together into a ball.
Pinch off the dough to form 1-inch balls.
Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing 1-inch apart.
Use your sugared index finger or 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to create depressions in the center of each ball.
Fill each indentation with nearly 1/2 teaspoon of the jam mixture.
Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

~Just Another Day~

First of all this was Cory's idea. Not mine. Well, the Mohawk was Cory's idea. He woke up on Saturday and said, "What do you think about giving Gabriel a Mohawk?" So that night, before bed we sculpted and styled and shaved our little boys' hair into a fantastic hawk. I did have a hand in the blue department, which we dyed on Sunday afternoon. Gabriel was just glad to go along for the ride, but was most excited about the color. We did manage to put it on our home movie and plan to montage it together for the hairpiece of his life. Least all of you freak out... Hair grows back and color is never forever. Gabriel reminds me of a My Little Pony for some reason. Cory says a Punk. Gabriel's vote is for Dragon. Surprise, surprise! It may be off beat and a little strange, but we've all enjoyed the experience.

Halibut

Rock Fish

Ling Cod

I caught this wounderful 47lbs Cod on my first ever deep sea fishing trip 30 miles off the coast of Homer. During the twelve hour fishing trip I caught a total of 11 fish. I caught 6 Cod, 4 Halibut, and 1 Rock Fish. I caught the largest fish of the day and the smallest. I'm not a very good fisherman, but had great luck on this trip and found a new passion for fishing. Although it completly exhausted me and I smelled terribly rank when finished it was exciting to pull fish out of the ocean that were bigger than Gabriel!

4th of July in Seward Alaska

New York City Fun

Money Well Spent

We went down to Homer Alaska the last weekend in May to beach comb and take in the sights. Gabriel found a Kiddie Boat and just had to take a ride. Two rides in fact! I suppose you could spend the same 50 cents on a newspaper or a pack of chewing gum, though I doubt you could get the same amusement out of it as we did. Just watching Gabriel pretend to be a captain, blowing raspberries at us and drinking coffee gave us a giggle. While walking the boardwalk we met a wonderful dog we all wanted to adopt. Sticks, rocks, shells, sand and paper cups all found their way into the car. But the most memorable part of the weekend was Gabriel bobbing up and down on a pretend boat enjoying the day and 50 cents well spent.

A Painted Man

While in Utah, waiting on yet another surgery I got out the paints. Unfortunately we were in my craft room at the time. More or less it had to do with a "Little One" wandering in and demanding attention by way of looting supplies. Out came the brushes, paint, camera and off came the rainbow tie-dyed socks. I try again and again to master face painting, but as always have a mini-dictator on my hands. Happily I paint what the man says... A beard, blue nose and whiskers. A happy dictator who will paint his own feet. (Thank you very much!) All the while a mother begging him to, "Just please lift your head!"

Christmas in Alaska

What a morning! Paper flying! Stockings emptied! Phone calls made on speaker phone! Pancakes and new jammies! What more could you ask for? Well, family to be here of course, but unfortunatly not this year. Gabriel had two favorite toys... A Buzz Lightyear and a Remote Control Car (Tyrant hates the car Earl. You win!) Who says Grandparents don't come through!?! We miss you all and hope your holidays are merry and bright. All our love, Cory Camille and Gabriel!

A Dragon Halloween

This Halloween was a very simple affair for us. Gabriel went to school wearing his wonderful costume. Ever since then he had been a dragon on a full time basis. Our little flying monster went to ever floor in our apartment, knocking on doors and begging for candy. It was so sweet. He ate all the candy he could in one hour and then gave his left-over candy to The Candy Witch. By doing this he has ensured the "Candy Witch" stays away for a whole year.