Doug's Birthday Party

I had to ask Doug when he wanted to have his family birthday party because last year there were several conflicts because the lack of communication. He said we could do a breakfast birthday party on the Saturday before his actual birthday. He wanted biscuits and gravy, sausage links, over easy fried eggs, hashbrowns and oranges. I did have some orange juice and chocolate milk if people wanted that to drink with breakfast. I texted everyone and found out Grandma couldn't come because she had prior engagements with some quilting ladies that didn't involve Mom.

The night before I made a chocolate gravy to take care of Arkansas in my meal challenge, I've been doing since 2023. It is part of the Appalachian cuisine, and they put it on biscuits as a sweet treat. I am also glad I made the gluten free biscuits and gravy for Ben the night before, so I didn't have to do it that morning.  I am also happy Sonya volunteered to make regular biscuits for everyone else and some of her famous sausage gravy. I wouldn't have to get up super early to start making food. Ben and I did set up the tables and chairs, so we didn't have to do it the next day.

I chose to have a football themed party for Doug because I had those decorations handy. I told people they could wear football related attire if they wished to do so. That day two games were played, the AFC and NFC Divisional games. The Commanders beat the Lions, and the Chiefs beat the Texans. I really wanted the Lions to win so we could have a Lion/Bills Superbowl, but it wasn't going to happen.

Ben and I got up around 8 and finished up the table, the decorations and jumped into making the hashbrowns and over easy eggs. I was also responsible for making gluten free sausage gravy for Ben and his gluten free biscuits. As cooking was winding down, people started to arrive around 10 a.m.

I had all the food in my warmer. Doug and Sonya arrived with the food they prepared and set it on the table. Once everyone was there, we announced which food was gluten free and which wasn't. We grabbed our plates and grabbed some food.

We chatted about random things, watched Brian be goofy at the breakfast table and after we were done eating, Doug opened his presents. He thanked us for the cards and gifts. It was approaching nap time for Brian, so Erika and Zac went home. Everyone soon followed suit. There were thank yous and hugs. Ben and I spent some time cleaning up after the party - dishes, vacuumed and put the tables and chairs away. 

Since it was a nice, dry day, I convinced Ben to walk around the park with me. There were plenty of people walking their dogs, kids and themselves. We talked about random things and the excitement of our upcoming honeymoon trip to Europe. I was so excited for a vacation since I haven't had one in almost two years. I had also built up a lot of leave during that time. We got back home, and I asked Ben if we could go get the multicache, Brought to You from Mexico - Dia de los Muertos (GCAFCQ7). He said sure. 

We hopped into the Escape and drove the short distance to the cemetery. The place was busy because they were having a celebration of life inside the building. We were able to find a parking spot. We found the starting coords on the caching app and started our walk through the cemetery. We tried to make sure we didn't back track, but it was impossible. Oh well, we got our steps in. We gathered all the waypoints we needed for the final. However, the final coords took us to the starting coords. We must have done something wrong. I figured out what we did wrong a few minutes later.

The final was out towards the road in the treed area next to the building. We followed the "deer" trails to a stump. We both looked for the cache and Ben found it. He pulled it out of its hiding spot and admired the container.  We got our names on it, took a few pictures and put it back. We walked back to the Escape and drove home.

The rest of the day we did laundry, watched football, other random chores and I wrote in my blog and got caught up on my Instagram posts. It was nice to chill the rest of the day.

Happy Eary Birthday Doug!

Next Adventure: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Seattle Kraken

NYE and New Year's Day

Tuesday, December 31st

I got up, zombied out to my desk and turned on my computer to get it logged on. I worked on my two lists throughout the morning and if I hit any slow moments, I worked on my DJA work. There were a few times I had to wait for work. I got as much as I could done in the morning, ate lunch and then jumped into my DJA work. I worked on the prepping for collections spreadsheet and the Orion spreadsheet getting out about 26 ER4's to mail out next time I was in the office. I was not able to do wage releases with Leah. Leah did share with Sandra and I that she was leaving the agency mid-January. Later on, that afternoon, my supervisor and program manager finished up my performance evaluation, so I worked on that and signed it. My supervisor even asked me if I wanted to extend my DJA out to the end of March.  I did not hesitate. I said yes. She said she would talk to my DJA supervisor when she got back from vacation.

Ben got off work early, went to the DMV to get his new tabs for the Edge and picked up his medication on the way home. Look at him being responsible and getting his stuff done!

I logged off at 4 and immediately started finishing up chores, feeding the cats and getting our duffels packed up for a night in Bonney Lake. Our friends didn't want to do anything for New Year's Eve this year, so we decided to go to his mom's house. We put everything in Ben's Edge (since it was his turn to drive) and got on the freeway.  We got there within an hour since traffic wasn't that bad.  It surprised me since it was technically a holiday.

We rolled up the driveway and unloaded our stuff. Trish asked us if we were moving in with the amount of stuff we brought with us. We brought enough stuff for just about anything including board games, clothes, bedding, food and drinks. She understood.

Ed was already drinking.  We got settled in and I started making dinner since I promised Trish I would. I chose to make the Southwest Chicken and Rice Skillet, the same food we made and brought to the Halloween party with us a couple months prior.  It's relatively easy to make, it feeds a bunch of people, and you can eat it with chips, tortillas or by itself. Everyone looked like they enjoyed the food. We watched the rest of the Fiesta Bowl where Penn State beat Boise State 31-14.

We helped clean up and Amy worked on the dishes for a little bit. We cleared off the table and got ready to play some board games. Ben and I brought along Ticket to Ride. That game takes a while to play so we started off with that one. Ed always has a hard time with it, Ben always tries to get the longest train, Amy thinks she hates the game but does well every time she plays, and Trish and I always make sure we do not end up with unfinished routes.

We ate snacks and drank as the night wore on.

Ed introduced us to a game called Racko. It's a simple game if you get the correct cards. You are delt cards and you have to put them in ascending order. Your goal is to have the lowest ascending cards on your rack. I actually won a few rounds.

It got closer to midnight, so we got out our fun hats, glasses and noise makers.  We turned on the Space Needle and watched it count down with everyone else in the Pacific Time zone. It's insane that I've brought in the new year 41 times in my life and every once and a while I will think about those times I spent with those people over the years.

Once 2025 was ushered in, many hugs were given, kisses were had and lots of photos were taken. It was hard to get a good one of everyone, but we managed to get it. We all went to bed late. I was happy to get in a quick shower, into my pajamas, relax and drift off to sleep.

A new year and a new chapter to our lives. 2024 was pretty awesome and going to be tough to beat! Let's see how this one turns out. Happy 2025 everyone!

Wednesday, January 1st

Everyone slept in and sleeping in felt good. I got uncomfortable in the downstairs bed, got up, washed my face and went upstairs because I heard Trish upstairs getting ready to make breakfast. The menu for that morning was French toast, sausage and scrambled eggs.  As always, the food was delicious.  We helped Trish clean up and Amy did the dishes.

I didn't want to waste a nice day. I convinced Ben to hike around the trails of Tehelah to get a couple geocaches I've had my eyes on. There were three in particular I needed to fill in my Fizzy Grid. It's a geocaching challenge I've been working on since I started in July 2010. I've been hitting it harder over the past couple years.

I wasn't sure where to park or where the trailheads were to these caches, so I reached out to Rhonda to get her advice.  She was able to give it since she lives in Bonney Lake and had recently done them. She was happy to help us out. 

Ben and I hopped into the Edge and made our way to Teheleh.  If they do any more building, they will have to make it its own city with a zip code!  It had exploded since we were there last. We were in awe.  Anyway, we follow the back road towards out to Orting Lake. I had no idea this lake was even out here. We found the pull-out parking Rhonda was talking about, pulled over as far as we could go, grabbed what we needed and walked along the muddy road filled with large puddles.

The first one, PREDADOR (GCA8JE2) had a bunch of favorite points, so we stopped along the way to the lake. It was not what I expected but it was an awesome 3D rendering.  I saw it first, but I waited until Ben got to the tree so he could grab the cache out of it. We got our names on it, put it back and got a quick picture.

We headed down the trail to the lake. Orting Lake Earthcache (GCAFYHJ) asked us to figure out if this area was a kettle pond or not. Ben and I discussed the four questions and came up with some answers to put in our logs. We also got the necessary picture before walking back to the Edge.

Before we got back into the Edge, we saw there was one near the trailhead called Uncle Fester (GCA0JQG). I had a hard time zeroing in on it with my phone however, there was a spot that looked like it was picked over by others. I moved a couple pieces of bark out of the way and there it was!

We got into the Edge and drove down to the end of the road where the next "trailhead" was. At least this is where Rhonda said she parked to get these set of caches. It was a weird road, and I questioned it. It did look familiar, and I checked my app to see why.  Yes, Ben and I had been here before back in 2014. We made our way down the sloppy, muddy, now foggy forest road. 

World Icon Series - Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris (GCA3ZTX) was our first target.  There were many caches spread along this section of trail. We would only have time to grab about five or six of them. We got to the coords listed and this cache was easy to find. It was a 3D printed mini version of the Notre Dame Cathedral. 

We started back down the trail after we put the cache back in its hidey spot. Gruncle Craps (GCA41XE) was the next one. We weren't sure what to think of the name.  I could be a fake pile of 3D painted poo or something that had to do with gambling. Most likely, gambling.  We approached ground zero and had to backtrack just a little bit. The coords took us off of the road and up the hillside just slightly. I found the large piece of bark hiding three giant dies. Of course, we rolled them and had fun with it. We signed our names and put them back as best as we could.

We got back on the forest road and continued on. We grabbed Spiderman (GCA41XX), and I thought I got a picture of it but apparently, I didn't.  This one was of the main forest road along a trail. We made our way back to the main road to Lumiere Befriends Gruncle (GCA41Y8). This one had us checking all sorts of stumps.  We finally got to the correct one and found out someone had broken the cache at some point. It was stuffed in a plastic bag to keep its integrity. It took me a while to assemble the pieces to get a picture of it whole. 

We get back to the main forest road again and we have our sights set on World Icon Series - Chichen Itza in Mexico (GCA3ZV6). We get close to the posted coords and had no trouble finding that one. Ben was the one that actually found it. 

Gruncle Keeps Monkeying Around (GCA41YX) was hidden just off the forest road in a grouping of trees. Ben found this one too.  He even acted the part when we got a picture of it just after signing the logbook. We had fun finding these caches. 

We had time for one more and The Hulk (GCA41ZB) was one of the caches on my list.  I was so excited to whittle down three of my last four remaining squares on my Fizzy grid.  I just need one more and the closest one was on Lake Kapowsin in Graham. I have plans to go this summer to go get it if we aren't too busy. If not, it will have to wait.  I wasn't sure what to expect when I got closer to the coords. I was so happy that the container was a Hulk fist.  We signed the log, got a picture and put it back. I told Ben that was the last one.

We made our way back to the Edge. It didn't take us long to walk back since we were not stopping every 500+ feet to look for a geocache.  We found a total of 10 on the first day of the year. I was happy the weather held up for us, so we weren't stuck inside the house all day on a day off from work. It was nice to get some fresh air and exercise.

We drove around the new housing developments in Teheleah. Ben was in awe how quickly the forests were cut down, and houses were built up in an area he and his friends used to ride their bicycles in years ago. We also couldn't believe how expensive houses are now. I keep making the joke that I should have bought a house when I was 18, when they were affordable. 

We drove back to his mom's house and noticed the Oregon Ducks were being stomped by Ohio State in the Rose Bowl game. They did make an effort for a comeback, but it was way out of reach. Ohio State won 41-21. We hung out and lounged around the house for a bit.

We helped his mom by changing out the bedding and making the bed for her with clean sheets and pillowcases.  We packed up our stuff, loaded it into the Edge, gave out hugs and thank yous and left Bonney Lake around 6:30. We got home around 7:30. We unpacked the Edge, put the food away, got in some showers, started some laundry and fed the cats. We spent the next hour or so getting ready for a really short work week of two days. I would have had two Mondays and two Fridays once the week was over. I am not a fan of holidays in the middle of the week.

Next Adventure: Doug's Birthday Party

Christmas Eve and Christmas

Tuesday, December 24th - Christmas Eve

I had to work on Christmas Eve. I actually had to go into the office on Christmas Eve because the day before my work laptop had a critical error and I needed to swap it out with IT. I was super annoyed because it just made for a longer day than I wanted it to be. It took a little less than an hour and then I spent the rest of the morning getting caught up because Debbie and Devon were on their personal leave day. 

During our UR meeting the day before, it was made clear that I was going to do part of Debbie's work but apparently, people change the plan without letting people know. Both Tammy and I got in trouble from our supervisor because she failed to communicate with us. I really felt like I was being gaslighted and almost put in leave and went home for the rest of the day. Instead, I vented at lunch time since I was literally the only one in the cafeteria that day.

I went back to my desk, finished up with what I was responsible for with UR and then switched gears into my afternoon DJA work. 4:00 could not come any sooner. I was so done after that morning incident, but I was able to get what I needed done before logging off and enjoying the next two days not having to work.

It's been nice that Erika and Zac agreed to host Christmas Eve the past few years.  Ben and I having to do both of them was getting rather taxing. I sent an email to everyone earlier in December to set aside dates and times that we were getting together, what was on the menu and who was responsible for bringing what item.

I grabbed my stuff and headed out to the Escape. I had enough time to go home before having to go over to Erika and Zac's house. The plan for the last few years is a taco bar since it is easy to make and easy to feed a bunch of people. I brought gluten free taco seasoning and taco shells. Erika made the burger and provided the cheese, Grandma brought lettuce, Mom brought some desserts and tomatoes, and Doug and Sonya brought chips and salsa.  We all brought our presents for the gift exchange too. Mom gave me the two breakfast casseroles for tomorrow.

Ben and I drove over, parked and brought everything in.  Erika and Zac don't have an actual Christmas tree instead they used the small one with LED lights that we bought for Grandpa while he lived at Bonaventure. We piled all the presents under the little tree as best as we could.

We ate tacos, hung out, Brian was passed around and yelled at the dogs for begging and being in the way. We were able to get a family picture even though Brian wiggled around and the dogs weren't paying attention. We got organized and started handing out gifts. Every year I try to get everyone at least one thing they can use or enjoy. I had a bunch of Grandpa's flannel shirts, and I thought it would be great to make them into pillows and give them to my siblings for Christmas.  I plan on doing that with Grammie's shirts too. 

We helped Erika clean up and put the leftover food into containers. She thanked us all for coming and we all headed home to get ready for the next day. Ben and I had a bunch of stuff left to do since I was forced to go into the office earlier that day because of my laptop. Why did it have to malfunction near the holidays?  Ben and I headed home and got as much stuff done as we possibly could before we went to bed.  We did go to bed later than we wanted to because 8 am was going to come fast. 

Wednesday, December 25th - Christmas Day

The alarm went off at 8:00 and I got up, got ready and put the breakfast casseroles in the oven since they needed more time than cutting up the muffins and getting the fruit ready. I had to force Ben to get out of bed and help me. I finished up the decorations on the tables since we don't trust the cats to leave them alone overnight.

I got the plates, cups, silverware and napkins on the table as well. Around 8:45 people started to arrive with boxes of presents to stick under the tree. 

We were running out of room fast and had to be creative. By the time the food was done everyone was there.  I put everything on the table and told everyone that food was ready to be eaten. A frenzy of people made their way into the kitchen and to the dining room with their plates. There was plenty of food for 13 people.

We all sat down, ate and enjoyed the many conversations that were had. Ben and I should find ourselves a highchair so Brian could join us at the table and not have to be held when everyone is eating. The food went fast, and many got up for seconds and even thirds. I just had one plate of food because I didn't want to be stuffed. I am glad I didn't have leftovers I had to find homes for. Trish and Amy helped out with the dishes. We started the dishwasher so it would be done before dinner.

We all got ready in the living room for stockings and gifts. Trish decided she wanted to be Santa this year and started handing out the gifts. We all opened our gifts and saw what each other got. Then we threw balled up wrapping paper at everyone. It's been a family tradition for as long as I can remember. Of course, everyone aims for people's eyes and faces! We pile a bunch of wrapping paper on Brian, and he had a great time squealing and moving his hands and legs.

We got out our garbage bags and everyone started helping clean up the huge mess of wrapping paper.  Even Wade came out to see what all the commotion was and even played in the mounds of boxes and wrapping paper. Everyone gathered up their presents and extra things they brought with them and started taking it out to their cars. It alleviated the clutter in the living room, and we were able to put the dining room table back together.  

Before people left we took some photos of everyone in their Christmas outfits. We tried to get different groups of people and groups of what people wanted. It was hard to get Brian to look at the camera, but we managed to get a few good ones.

Some people went home for a few hours to get ready for dinner, some stayed, and Doug and Sonya went to go hang out with her mom for dinner. I washed the napkins and fabric table clothes.  I got the ham ready to go and got it into the cooker for 3-4 hours. The rest of the stuff we were responsible for would have to be done as it got closer to dinner time. 

Mom, Dad, Grandma, Erika, Brian and Zac went home for a few hours. Trish, Jean, Amy and Ed stayed since they lived further away.  They played card, dice and marble games and once the NFL games came on, we streamed those. As it got closer to dinner, I had Ben and his mom help with peeling the potatoes. I started the gluten free gravy and the green beans. Trish put the buns in the oven with about 15 minutes left before dinner.  Erika, Zac and Brian showed back up. We finished up the food, Ben got the ham all cut up and got it on the table. I had Trish set the table with plates, silverware, the clean napkins and glasses.

We let everyone know food was done. Everyone grabbed their plates and piled food on it. We sat down and talked about random things while we ate.  The food was tasty, like it always is. Very few people got up for seconds. It's always weird when people are missing from the table, like it has been since 2018, and holidays will never be or feel the same. 

When we were done eating, we spent some time clearing out the dishes, putting them into the dishwasher and relaxing with card games, marbles and dice - for those who wanted to play them.  Some watched TV and passed Brian around and some just chilled on the couch. The pies and desserts were brought out and people grabbed a slice or two when they felt like it.

As the evening wore on, it was getting late, and Brian was starting to get crabby. Everyone thanked us for hosting; hugs were given out and everyone went home.  Ben and I spent some time putting the rest of the food away, putting the table and chairs away, vacuuming and wiping everything down. We relaxed for a few hours before going to bed. I was happy to have the next day off.  I need some sleep. 

Next Adventure: NYE and New Year's Day