Meeting up with Friends . . .

We raced back from Sunriver to meet up with some of my very best friends for a Spring Break playtime at Putters.  It is always so much fun for me and my kids to meet up with this awesome group!

Me, Christy, Liz and Leticia

friends for many years, so many memories between us

. . . and our offspring!

We have a whopping 12 kids between us!

Natalie (oldest) and Geneveive (youngest) are missing from this picture and we have an added friend of Gabrielle's, but we captured most of the kids in this picture.

These kids are almost like cousins, they have known eachother since birth!

. . .still in Sunriver, park and sledding on the last day!

Ok, I know that there are only so many Sunriver pictures a person can take, but can I help it if I love pictures of my family having so much fun together?  I find that I am enjoying my family vacation time even more now that I am working full time.  Every minute is so precious and every memory so important to me.

Lucy is so proud of her new found ability on the monkey bars.

She tells me that she practices every day at  school.

Sam was loving the park, a great place to let that ADD go wild!

Lucy waving at me from the very cool Merry Go Round.

Daddy pushing Sam on the swing

Sam was the main "pusher" of the Merry Go Round, the little kids loved him!

I tried to push the kids on the tire swing . . .

. . . but Daddy did a much better job!

What a beautiful day!

We had such perfect weather while we were there!

Me and two of my favorite people

(Max was skiing with the Franssens on this day, we missed him)

Sledding . . . So fun!!!!

I must admit, I was having an absolute BLAST sledding with my family!

Max had just finished skiing all day, he was a bit tired.

Father / Daughter snow angles . . .

so cute!

We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather.

The boys had a crash landing.

Sam and I were tied for the most enthusiastic sledders,

We both went up and down that hill at least 30 times.

 I got my workout that day, but it was so much fun!

Sam liked the crash and burn at the end the best!

We were sledding after the mountain had closed, but it looked so beautiful that I had to take a picture.

Lucy had to wear my gloves because hers got too wet.

Like I said, I was having a little too much fun for a 40 year old Mom.

Sam even tried surfing!

One last beautiful picture . . .

Dinner at the Franssens and the High Desert Museum

While we were in Sunriver, our good friends The Franssens invited us over for dinner.  They have an amazing, gorgeous vacation home in Bend.  Brenda made a super delicious meal (she is like the best cook ever)  followed by her homemade key lime pie . . . YUM!

What a fun evening, it was so nice of them to have us over.

Pancho and Kurt

The kids and adults eating together . . .

. . . then playing together

The Dads and kids went out on the golf course, that their house is located on, and played a game of football!

The Mom's hung out inside and watched "The Real Housewives of New York" . . . love that show!

Connor and Max

good buds and in the same 4th grade class this year!

Next up, The High Desert Museum!

While Mom and I went shopping, Papa and Daddy took the kids to the Museum.

It sure has come a long way since my Dad used to drag us there when we were little kids.  Back then there were about 2 small exhibits and a  stuffed owl to look at . . .

 . . . the kids had so much fun looking at all of the cool things there, so much  to see and do, they didn't even get to it all!  We want to go back!

Sam, Max and Lucy

The kids thought this stuffed cougar was very cool!

They got to do some old time gambling with a real old cowboy.

Sam was the big winner!

Max was reading all about the Indians that lived in Central Oregon.

One of these is not a Fulton . . .

Papa and the kids . . . they sure love their Papa!

It was such a fun day to be at the museum because they had live people at many of the exhibits that looked and talked like they were really from the old west.  They taught the kids important facts and even played old gambling games with them!

. . . more Sunriver

It  snowed last night!  Itt was only about an inch and a half, but it was enough to get my kids very excited.  We didn't get any snow in Eugene this year, so they couldn't wait to go play in it!  In fact, they were out there playing in the snow/mud for about 3 hours.  The snow started melting about 2 hours into their "game", but they kept playing anyway.  By the time they came in, they were all three covered in mud!  It was a very big clean up job, but well worth it to watch them playing so happily together for such a long time!

Max was so proud of this huge snowball.

Lucy just followed along and did whatever her brothers told her to . . .

Our house from the backyard, covered in snow!

Sam was trying to sled on his belly on flat ground (he takes after his dad).

I took a self portrait, just to show that I was there, I was given a job and played outside with them for one out of the three hours they were out there! (Pancho had to go into Bend and set up a Carwash that morning)

Oh, big brothers! 

Sam called Lucy to stand under this tree and then used that stick to make a bunch of snow fall on her . . . she is going to be one tough cookie!

It is difficult to see from this picture, but they actually used the fire wood and sticks and rocks that they found around the yard to make a very cool fort.  It was like their little kingdom and they all had jobs and names.  I love watching kids use their imagination.  I guess thats what happens when there is no TV or video games!

The kids are loving the hot tub at our rental house!

 . . . believe it or not, my kids really do play well together when it is just the three of them.

Thats why I like to do a vacation with just us once in a while.

This was after they had played in the snow together for such a long time!

When they get in this hyper, giggly mode, it just cracks me up.

(Until it goes on for more than an hour and I have to send them downstairs so I don't get a headache)

Lucy is used to getting bunny ears from one of her brothers in almost every picture,

so I guess she has just  resigned herself to it.

Spring Break in Sunriver!

We are stying in a great house in Sunriver.  It is conveniently located between the new pool facility (Mavericks) and Fort Rock Park.  So far we have gone to the High Desert Museum, shopping in Bend, to Goody's for Icecream, Swimming (about 4 times so far), skiing at Mt. Bachlor, played at the Park, played Basketball at the courts near the park, & Hot tubbing, movies and popcorn EVERY NIGHT!!!  Tomorrow we are plannning on going sledding!  As you can plainly see, we are having a ball.  My parents were here with us for 3 nights, it was so much fun to have them here.  They went up to the lodge with us and watched Lucy while we were skiing.  The only downfall of this whole trip for me is that we were promised internet access at our house and when we got there, we didnt have it.  So, I am frantically trying to catch up on my blogging right now at Mavericks while the kids are swimming (free internet access).  So all I have time to post right now are the pictures that my slow computer will upload . . . more to come!

Lulu (6)

(both front teeth are quite loose right now)

Sam (9)

So into sports right now, football, soccer, basketball, baseball, anything with a ball.

Max (10)

So responsible and hard working, Max is earning $$$ by cleaning my house, he is trying to outbid my cleaning lady!  He is also playing baskeetball and soccer right now!

. . . fun in the pool!

Cute bikini girl!

Skiing at Mt. Bachelor ... I couldn't take many pictures, because it is hard to carry a camera around while you are skiing!

The Franssens and the Fultons

back row: Sam, Brennan, Max, Connor

front row: Brenda, Lucas, Lucy and Me

Lucy and Lucas

They are both in Mrs. Mussio's Kindergarten Class together this year.

Ice Cream at Goody's

Max

Lucy, trying to get us to buy her a stuffed animal.

Grammy and Papa

We had so much fun with them and we were so happy that they came over to spend a couple of days with us.

Oh, Sam Sam, really?

Yes, you do take so much after your Dad.

Need a napkin buddy?

Max and Mom

Sam was trying to get us to buy him a stuffed animal that we actually already have at home!

He is definitely a wheeler and dealer!