Cool Stuff

 This weekend Eli got to participate in his first ever Pinewood Derby Race. He had tons of fun. Matt and Eli worked together on his car. He won the award for MOST FUTURISTIC car. Sadly, it didn't perform very well during the race. Eli didn't seem too phased by it and had fun anyways. That's my boy. Next year we'll have to figure out the tricks of getting the car to actually go fast.

 His scout leader made him a driver's license. Eli thought that was way cool.

 We had our nephew Joshua for three days last week. He's a good boy. He adores Eli. He asked non stop if he could play video games.

Last Saturday Joshua's Dad gave us a scare when he suffered a heart attack and ended up having open heart surgery. Thankfully the surgery was successful and he is on the road to recovery.

 For Christmas I gave Matt tickets to see Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband. The big concert was on Saturday night. We ended up talking our friends Kari and Berry into going. And we had a BLAST!!!

    Weirdos.

Berry, YOU CRAZY!

 Jazz hands!

 Before the concert I was heading over to the other side of the theatre to say HI to my friend Amanda when I heard somebody yell my name. It was my old friend Brandy form Eugene!!! This is a girl I love. We had so much fun hanging out together when I was a Eugenian. Anyways, so she introduces me to her friend Ryan. Yep, Ryan Shupe. She and he were hanging out in the back of the theatre. Can you believe that? Neither can I. Deep breath. Ryan was wearing a jacket with a hood~ I'm guessing so no one would recognize him. We chummed for awhile. He was in the process of writing out what songs he was going to perform that night.  He showed us pictures of his kids on his cell phone. He was so nice. Totally kick back. I think that's the closest I've ever been to a famous person. The cool thing is is that I didn't feel nervous around him at all. Cool.  He asked me if I had any requests. I had to be honest with him and tell him I didn't know much about him or his rubberbands. I made sure he knew that I had given the tickets to my hubby for Christmas and that we were there to check him out. This seemed to please the man. And after the show when we visited with Ryan he told his band boys my story. The story that goes," She found out we were coming to Hillsboro, checked us out on You Tube, and took a chance and bought her hubby tickets for Christmas". They were all really down to earth and nice.

Oh, and Brandy was once the owner of Auntie Brandy's Cookie Shop in Eugene. So, obviously she makes some awesome cookies. She had brought up a big box of cookies for her buddy Ryan and I got to have a Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookie right out of Ryan Shupe's cookie box. And then about half way through the concert Brandy's cookie box ended up on the stage and Ryan was frisbeeing them out into the audience.  The band was eating them. Wow, I have a semi famous friend.

 We loved the show. Usually banjos and fiddles aren't our kind of music, but these boys know how to get down. And they're totally funny.

We'd for sure go to another one of their concerts.

 Here's my little man all tucked in bed last night. Surrounded by the glow of his chili pepper lights. A free gift he won playing Christmas Bingo with his Uncle Jim and Aunt Clarka at Christmastime. He loves his lights. I love them because he loves them.

Sleep tight, little man.

This is Matt. I married that man. Isn't he the cutest? I love him a lot. Even when he wears two different plaids.