TGIF

Happy birthday Papa. Much missed, not forgotten. We have had much rain lately and today is looking beautiful. The sun is out and I'm sure it's in your honor.

The holiday stuff is getting put away and we are well into 2016. Lots of this and that happening...currently we are searching for a second car. The Durango caught fire and is totaled. Happened the night we picked Jordan up at the airport. We wanted him to have a holiday break to remember evidently. We stopped for a bite to eat that night and while in the restaurant the car caught fire, a crew from the Portland fire department came to put it out and we had no idea. Turned into a late, late, late night adventure. Ugh.

Christmas was good...a Mayfield family Christmas eve, a great Christmas day at home and day after at the Tull house. It's all about Jesus, family comes first. Another holiday in the books.

Every year we try to come up with something that we think the kids will enjoy. Forced family fun whether they like it or not. This year we drove to Hood River to take The Polar Express on the old railway. Sydney eyes still light up about Santa.

We also had a Finn sighting. He and Alexis are growing up too quickly and we are glad we got a short visit with them. Finn gives the love and we have to really work for the love from Miss Alexis. Well, her chosen people in this family are Uncle Steve and she has added Sydney to that list as well. Leaves the rest of us green with envy.

Let's talk Max Davis. This family finally got to meet Andrea's intended. So. Very. Nice. We are so looking forward to the two them getting married in August. Congratulations!

Feeling caught up? 

let's talk countdowns..

I was telling Jordan last week that I have too many countdowns with him...
Countdown until his birthday...countdown until he came home...countdown
until Christmas...
Well, his birthday has come and gone and he will return home twenty-two.
A seasoned "responsible" consumer of adult beverages. Yeah, right. On the
second count he will be home after only one more sleep. Yay. Snug as a bug
in his own bed. I don't know about him but his parents will sleep better. And
last count, Santa is less than a week away. I'm ready. We believe. And I don't
think anyone will be getting underwear for Christmas.
Cookies for Santa...cupcakes to celebrate baby Jesus and we are good to go.

Merry Christmas!

Quiet time...

Nine more sleeps and Jordan will be home for his winter break. So happy to see him as four months seems long. Missed him for Thanksgiving and will miss him even more as his birthday is approaching.

 

We seem to be pretty ready for Christmas and have family time planned...hope the kiddos are on board. If not, oh well. Just overload on momma and daddy time. New motto may be, "deal with it."

To catch up a bit, Sydney moved to her own apartment with Kendahl. Sydney is happy to have her own space away from us but we still see her often. Love that! So nice not to drive five hours for a visit. 

Kendahl will be with her until May when she heads to Colorado. One, to wait for John. And two, to go to nursing school. 

Oh, let me not forget to say the Mayfields' have a baby on the way. Ellie is making Uncle Chris and Aunt Cori a grandpa and a grandma. Baby girl Mayfield is due in May. With any luck an appearance before we head to Iowa for graduation would be nice. Miss Ellie, I am sure you will produce a precious bundle with fat, fuzzy earlobes. So looking forward to meeting this gem.

In the meantime, here come the holidays. Bring em on!

It's finally here...annual family campout!

Family. Overload.
Just about to head over to the Sunnycrest Mayfields (minus Uncle Chris who is off saving the world from fire). We will convene for family fun but minus the campfire due to our fab dry weather. Games. Eating. Games. Catching up. Perhaps a glimpse of Uncle Tim's famous green sweatpants. More eating.

More of the events in next post.
Stay tuned.

Here's what's happening now...

One month ago we moved Sydney home from Ashland. It doesn't seem she has been here one month. Truly time flies. She accepted a job with the Hotel Oregon as the events/catering/sales manager.  Go Syd! A big girl job, with big girl pay and big girl benefits. She got her benefits card in the mail the other day and was savoring the adult moment.

Next up, Kevin Hall. So unexpected but nonetheless gone. God has a new right hand man! I  would say he was one of the nicest guys on the planet. He will be missed.

In just two weeks we will send Jordan off for his senior year at Coe. SENIOR. Again, times flies. We look forward to graduation in May...and I am sure that time will approach too fast. We plan to go, road trip home and see some sights along the way. Jordan is hoping for a big sha-bang. Aka. family cruise. Really just a way to put off his adulthood. Yep, already praying about his first big boy job.

Life is good. Always changing, We are just going to continue to roll with it. God. Family. Friends.

kendahl grace, the story continues

Wow, last post was quite some time ago. Oops. Well, tomorrow will be the day Kendahl is moved home. At least a little bit of time at Chris and Cori's. John has gone to South Korea for a year and upon his return they will move to Colorado. That's the latest plan anyways. Kendahl is hard at studying and trying to get more schooling in. Go Kendahl! And all the while we will enjoy her company here.

kendahl grace

college student.
wife.
moving.

Are you processing this? This girl is moving in just one month and I am having a problem with this. I am still in denial about her being married. Her dreams are about to come true and we couldn't be more excited for her. Her deployed hubby is about to return, she is about to get her degree and she is finally going to live under the same roof with him. These are a few short term wishes and now new wishes will be added to her list. What is next? Dare I say a job? You know you want one, but what? A new chapter and many pages yet unturned. Looking forward to seeing the plot unfold. So far, what a good read!

update. it's april. yikes.

I am trying to add a post but it's not without complications...I can hardly believe we are well into 2014 and there is only one post. Lots going on...where do we start?
Steve =baseball. Can't find him? He is on a baseball field, somewhere. He juggles work, his high school baseball team and tracks Jordan and his baseball team. When he gets home? He has been known to turn on a MLB game and get on his computer to track the rest. Not to worry he, he fits in time for the wife and dog.
Sydney is busy with school. Graduation is in her sight and so close we can count the days. She is dedicated to Relay For Life coming up mid-May and we couldn't be more proud. This is an event that has consumed many hours and she is managing to stay on top of everything else. Currently that includes three jobs. Yay for her!
Jordan is still miles away but never too far off our radar. His school year is ending soon and home he will be. He thinks he isn't doing the "on his own" thing real well but he is learning every time he has to ask for help.  Growing up doesn't happen over night and maybe he will be ready for the world (and the world ready for him) in a couple of years when he approaches graduation. We can hope anyways!
The momma, still at home with the furry kids. We have to remind ourselves Libby is getting to be quite and old lady. She is still a devil kitty at times but now we cut her some slack because she has many sweet moments with us. Harley...dad says we should have renamed her Eeyore. Playful but so slow and lack luster at other times. Amazes us at how much she sleeps. These two...are loved.
The Mayfield house in a nutshell, for today anyways.

Hello 2014

We welcomed the new year with waffles at midnight...tradition! Good winter break having the kids home. Jordan ate his weight in sugar and Sydney got as much love as possible from the furry kids. We made memories, drank coffee, drank Kona coffee, ate, went to the movies, played games. Had fun.
As we progress into this year, Ellie is making a new home at WOU. Sydney is wrapping up classes for GRADUATION(yes, I said graduation!) and Kendahl is focused on her internship(something to do as she waits on John's return).
Bring on 2014...I think we are ready. Baseball begins soon enough and that will occupy dad and Jordan's time.

Good friends...

What's better than va-cay-shun? Catching up up with old friends...we were able to get time with one of Steve's friends before our cruise. Love, love, love Jon...and his family for having us and showing us his LA life. He is blessed with a beautiful wife and and two girls who will keep their dad on his toes in the upcoming years. Both cute and smart, deadly combination for any dad. Our short visit makes me wish we lived closer so we could visit more often. Guess we should tell em we're coming back!

vacation

Cruisin'! 15 day cruise to Hawaii...four days at sea before you get there, five port of calls(Kona, Maui, Honolulu, Kauai and Hilo), another four days at sea, a day in Ensenada and back to Cali. Unplugged time, well mostly, with the hubby with lots of time for napping and relaxing. So. Good.

Empty nest

Jordan has been gone for a month(actually a few days more...yes, I'm counting) and it makes me crazy he has been sick since he has left . This mama want to hug him and make chicken soup for him and tuck him in at night. Sydney is packing up her stuff to leave me too. She is off for her fourth year at college. Where does the time go! Her company around here will be missed...so many words fill the air when she is here. That girl loves to to talk and she does a great job talkin' sports with the daddy. What will we do without her. The nest is nearly empty but like boomerangs they come back, thank gooodness. Oh how I will miss them! We drive them crazy and vice versa...but what a quiet house this will be. I will be left to watch the dog chase the cat, more sibling rivalry only with less words.

We're getting there

Four weeks and we are cruisin' babe...looking forward to get away and lost at sea(in the non-literal way of course). So glad the day is almost here after talking about and planning for what seems like a long time. Yay!
What's the next adventure? I know, planning baseball season 2014...Let's play ball Coach!

Indian Summer

9/11, twelve years later and still a date we not soon forget. Today is near 100 degrees and uncomfortable...maybe as it should be to remember how uncomfortable a day it was back in 2001. Well, with today being so warm means there is still warm weather to come. And it is September! I am thankful because that rainy weather will creep into our lives much too soon. Jordan has been gone almost a month, yay. But only yay because it's closer to the day he will come home! Boo that Sydney hasn't even left yet. Two more weeks and my truly long school year will start. Thirty eight more days until our cruise...temporary fix to help me forget how much I miss the kids. Aahhh, this too shall pass. Right?! Back to school time!! Let's buy some pencils, Sharpies and erasers!

Baby, you treat me so fine!

Happy anniversary...53 days and we set sail. Baby you treat me so fine. Looking forward  to getting lost at sea with you. In the non-literal way, I do not want to make headlines. Quiet and discreet vaca!

One more day

Where did the time go? Jordan is about to leave for school again and Iowa is too far away. Yep, too far. And December, too far away too. Me and Harley...not happy. Maybe if his packing doesn't get done he can't go...nah! What am I thinking? He must go! Yes, must. Welcome inside my head, I have been back and forth about this all week. Want him to stay. No, want him to go. He does something cute...must stay. Does something disgusting...must go. I WILL put him on that plane tomorrow and have a huge hug waiting for him when he comes back. That will have to do...xoxo buddy.

Mr. and Mrs. Caminiti

What a beautiful bride, no lie. And her maid of honor did shine a bit...even got through her toast. Sun, cute bridesmaids, homemade jams, homemade desserts, sparklers and a big red fire truck to escape in.  What a great day...technically we lost a Mayfield but this family gained a nice young man. Congratulations to the newlyweds!

How time seems to fly...

Last post in May?? Can hardly believe that but I think I stopped putting entries in when all I had on my mind was baseball. Gosh, and that was well into July...done for now(as if it ever stops). Our big summer events...first Fridays to visit Syd in her tasting room, a couple of animated movies(Monsters University and Despicable Me 2)because we have kids after all, and an outing to the beach with Harley. Her first time and she was a trooper! Walked forever on the beach without her little legs collapsing. We just had a family camp out at Chris and Cori's and are about up to the big event of Kendahl's wedding. Sheesh, a married kiddo! Jordan had his wisdom teeth out with no complications and he will be gone in a week :(  Sad days ahead...he came early, will leave early and be missed. The good news is we have Sydney a bit longer and then move her to school for her final year. Yes, FINAL. A college senior, when did that happen? Looking forward to fall and taking a nice cruise...we ARE counting the days to Hawaiian bliss. 66!

Memorial weekend 2013

As this weekend approached I was thinking how strange that we had no plans...no plans! This doesn't happen, we usually are committed to baseball somehow. No Sydney for the weekend...and basically no Jordan. His first week of work and he put in 40+ hours. He looks forward to a couple days off. The best part of this, he likes his job.
As it turns out, Steve and I were able to take in a Mariner-Ranger game Saturday night. M's lost but we had great seats and decent weather. To top off our evening we had a call from Kendahl to say she had gotten ENGAGED. Didn't see that one coming! We are thrilled and look forward to her August wedding.
Today is wet but we will enjoy it none-the-less and be thankful for all the soldiers who serve so we may enjoy this freedom.

Summer vacation

It is summer vacation for Jordan...he has been home for not quite two weeks and he started a new job today. Yay. No, did you feel the enthusiasm, YAY! I didn't have a chance to get tired of him being on my couch and now somebody else is responsible for occupying 40 hours of his life a week. Hopefully he will like his job, feel like he is making a contribution there and put some money away for the next school year.
Baseball...won the play in game...lost to Thurston HS in the first round. Not so much yay as my hubby would have liked to have gone to round two. Well, no worries. Summer practice begins next Wednesday. Yay.
Back to summer vacation...Sydney will be home mid June, yay! Sydney, word of the day: yay. Not delicious and not legit. Simple in form, yay. Looking forward to a full house again. Yay, summer vacation.