It's beginning to look a lot like...

...Christmas, finally, at the Deaver house. Joe's finals schedule really cramped our style this year, so we just got our Christmas tree this last weekend. Better late than never! Madison and Hayes wore their Christmas clothes to church yesterday, and looked pretty cute (especially in their opinion). Last night we decorated the tree, and it is hard to tell from the picture, but it is adorned with blue and orange twinkle lights. Go Broncos! Now we just have to finish our Christmas shopping.

I think Hayes is doing some kind of jazz hands/spirit fingers here. This is not the only picture of him in this pose.

*31*

Saturday was Joe's 31st birthday. He celebrated by going to the Apple Cup with one of his high school friends (UW vs. WSU football game). UW won, so I think he had a good birthday.

I am going to attempt a list of 31 things about Joe, but it will probably be super-controversial so I may regret this in the end.

1. He loves to play college bowl, a sort of trivia competition. This is actually how we met. He is really good at it. I am not.
2. He wears shorts almost everyday of the year. Even if it is cold outside.
3. He gets weird diseases and injuries, like hepatitis E.
4. He is really great at playing with the kids, they love to wrestle and tickle with him.
5. He is one of the hardest people I know to shop for; I dread present-related occasions because of him.
6. He loves to travel and see new things, if he ever has free time he starts planning elaborate road trips.
7. He is disgusted with toothbrushes that have soft bristles, he only likes the hard ones that scrape off pieces of his gums in the process.
8. He loves fantasy sports. He spends weeks planning and practicing his fantasy football draft, recruiting people to his league, and setting things up in general. He loves me so much that he actually will let me, the only girl in the league, participate.
9. He loves playing card games, especially spades, and has a spades night once a month with his med school friends.
10. He hates TV shows like sitcoms or dramas, and only likes to watch sports on TV. The only exceptions being Lost, Prison Break, Top Chef, and The Biggest Loser (where we have both actually teared-up).
11. He HATES/can't eat onions at all. If he bites into one he will throw it up (so he says).
12. He loves to golf, and is always sneaking out in good weather with his friends to a golf course.
13. He is not addicted to video games, and for that I am thankful.
14. He loves to cook and grill, and is really good at improvising in the kitchen.
15. He gets really into intramural sports. Even with his hurt ankle he still manages to dominate in softball, flag football, and volleyball.
16. He is very smart, was valedictorian in college, and has a great memory.
17. He is not a big reader, but does love to do Sudoku.
18. Sometimes he likes to get all dressed-up and take me out to really nice restaurants, even though he would be happy with little cheap restaurants that creep me out.
19. I think his dream career would be a doctor for an NFL or MLB team so he could meet the players and always go to all the games.
20. He seems to attract friends named Eric/Erik. He has at least 4 or 5 that I know of.
21. He has an obsession with the state of Maine, he has never been, but he is convinced that he will love it.
22. He doesn't let me get away with too much (in a good way). If he knows I don't want to do something because I am being lazy or am scared to do it, he makes me do it, which is good.
23. He thinks the worst gift I ever got him was the Sound of Music on DVD. He is probably right.
24. He has a "side of the bed." No matter where we are, he has to have his side of the bed. He even made me sleep on the crappier side of the bed when I was pregnant, and will probably never let that go!
25. He isn't a big fan of anything sweet, but he does love cheesecake, and is always trying to talk me into making chocolate chip cookies.
26. He likes everything to be logical.
27. He does not like the way that I drive, and pretty much never lets me drive if he is in the car.
28. If he does something he always does it well. He is meticulous and likes a good thorough job.
29. For one summer he was addicted to the movie version of Phantom of the Opera. Kind of out of character for him.
30. I don't think that he could ever turn down a plate of ribs.
31. Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday, New Year's is his least favorite.

Wow, I thought a list of 31 things was going to be hard, but it wasn't too bad. Happy Birthday, sweetums, don't expect a new list next year, I think I am out of ideas!

Thanksgiving

This year we let Hayes handle the photography for Thanksgiving. After weeding through about 30 pictures of his feet, this is what we came up with.

We spent Thanksgiving in Yakima with Joe's family, the kids were excited, as always, to see Grandma and Grandpa. We had a fun time. Dinner was great, and I contributed the pies this year. I do enjoy making and eating pies! We even got a couple of days of sunshine, which was so nice!

Boise/Halloween

On Thursday the kids and I flew to Grandma and Grandpa's house in Boise. We left Joe at home to study for his Cardiovascular final, fun! We had a great visit. Grandma and the kids decorated sugar cookies to look like pumpkins. We also were able to visit some friends, including Hayes' girlfriend Annie (ask him anytime who his girlfriend is, and he will tell you it is Annie, it's pretty funny).

Thursday night, my parents, my friend Melissa and I went to a dinner for Idaho Humanities. It was great. We heard prolific writer and Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer speak about the relevance of Lincoln today.

Friday I hit the Idaho State Archives for some research. It went well, now I just need to finish up my paper!

Saturday my dad and I went to the Boise State/San Jose State football game. I was so glad to be back at the blue turf. The game was a blast. My dad got picked to go on the field at half time to kick a 35 yard punt into the back of the orange Bronco truck to win it. He did a pretty good job, but we didn't make it home with the truck.

That night I took the kids trick-or-treating. They dressed up as their favorite band KISS. They had their guitars, tattoos, face paint, wigs, and black fingernails. They were the coolest kids on the block. We got to see a lot of friends from Boise, and the kids were glad to get a lot of candy!

We had a fun time in Boise!

*5*

So big! Madison turned five last Tuesday. It was a big day! Hayes and I took cupcakes to Madison's class at school. We got to sing happy birthday to her and Hayes and Madison passed out the cupcakes to her classmates. After school we opened presents at home with Aunt Melissa. That night we went to Madison's favorite spot: Chuck E. Cheese's. She had a blast playing the games and riding the little rides. We decided to hit Trophy Cupcake instead of making a cake this time. So we each got a birthday cupcake. Madison and Hayes had to have the Halloween-themed cupcakes and Joe and I split a snickerdoodle and red velvet cupcake. It was pretty fun. Madison is getting so old now! She loves school, playing with friends, watching movies, and reading.

Madison opening her present: Hayes all wrapped up!

Pohm School Field Trip

Last weekend Liz (SVU college roommate and friend-but that may be stretching it, J/K Liz) paid us a visit in Seattle. We had a whirlwind of adventures and were able to "catch-up." We got into Crush, a top Seattle restaurant, and got to participate in their tasting menu ($30 for 3 courses). Each course just got better and better, but the chocolate they gave us with the bill that contained Pop Rocks, was probably the most innovative. We hit Pike's Place market with the kids, and that was an adventure. The produce stands were gorgeous with the farm-fresh wares that all looked so good. Their were also a couple of stands crammed full of bouquets of flowers, which seemed like an unnecessary extravagance, but eventually I caved and bought $5 bouquet of oranges, yellows, and reds. We had a lunch of donuts that were pretty delicious and then headed to the waterfront park and Olympic Sculpture Park. The sculptures were impressive, the weather was beautiful, and we got great views of the Puget Sound.

The next day we took the ferry to the peninsula. While there we went to Fort Worden and went out on the beach. Liz and the kids really enjoyed playing in the sand. We could see Canada (it didn't look like they were up to anything, but you never really know). After that we got ice cream in Port Townsend and walked around the little shops.

Sunday night Mary came over and we really had an SVU reunion going. It was really fun to talk and hang out. Finally Liz had to go home and I think she took all of our sunshine because it is GONE. It has rained every day since she left! Thanks for coming out Liz!

Fan Appreciation Night

Last Friday night we went to Fan Appreciation night at Safeco Field. This was Hayes' first Mariner's game, and I think he wouldn't mind going again. We got a bag of peanuts and he was in heaven. The game was not very good (it was kind of boring and we lost), but we did have fun.