Everyday Miracles

She flies through the air...with the greatest of ease!

2011-09-09T21:39:00.000-07:00

Baby girl LOVES the swings. She says "whee!" every time I push her. She is growing up so fast, I will have to stop calling her "baby girl." At home we call her "Sister," so I will start calling her that.

We all scream for ice cream!

2011-09-08T12:06:00.000-07:00

We walked to the local farm store for a sweet snack. It has been super hot lately (ok, it was 81 today...) but to us that is hot. The kids quite enjoyed their treats. Momma and Daddy enjoyed the sweet faces of our babies as they ate their yummy ice cream.

2011-09-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of Joy School. We had it at our house, and focused on getting reacquainted, reviewing the rules, getting back into the groove. The boy has been anxiously awaiting getting back to preschool. He has two, this one that is home based and focuses on things like family relationships, having courage, making goals, and then a traditional one that teaches reading skills, etc. He loves them both and both are very good for him in different ways. I desperately wanted to go to kindergarten this year, but he is still just too young. One more year for him to be a little guy. I figured out today that he will graduate with the class of 2025. Wow does that make me feel super old.

Fast cars and fun

2011-09-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

Today Home Depot had their race car outside. We couldn't actually sit in it, but we could touch it and look inside. The boy though that it was pretty awesome.

Labor day

2011-09-05T23:50:00.000-07:00

Today we went fishin'. The boy even caught one but it was too little and we had to throw it back. He is such a funny kid. He always finds a reason to throw them back. This one was too small, one was too big, one was too slappy, one was too fishy. I think he just likes holding that pole.

Hanging out with the Elders

2011-09-04T23:16:00.000-07:00

We love having the elders in our home. This current set has spent a lot of time with us, because they were helping teach the discussions to our dear friend, and now they are teaching her the new member lessons! We try to postpone taking pictures with them until the very last minute because I have this theory that if we take a picture with them and our whole family, they will get transferred! Transfers are coming up this week, so we took a picture "just in case." Usually what happens is that every other elder stays with us for about 6 months, so if that is the cake, Elder A (taller one on the left) will be with us for a while, and Elder J (on the right) will be transferred soon. We'll see if they stick true to the pattern!!

Makin' do

2011-09-03T23:01:00.000-07:00

It has been a crazy weather day today. Super windy, and rainy. Daddy didn't let that stop him from playing bubbles with baby girl!

Another one!

2011-09-02T22:59:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the series of beautiful sunsets we've had lately. The clouds were amazing also tonight, so the boy and I hiked to the end of the street and got another picture. It's so neat to see him getting excited about taking pictures, the sunsets, and nature. He is always telling me about how Jesus made us, and made everything. I can't believe how grown up he is getting.

GOOOOOOOOOAL!

2011-09-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

The boy is SO excited to be starting soccer. Tonight is his first practice, and he insisted on getting his soccer gear on first thing. He is actually pretty talented for never having done it before, and I hope he has as much fun as he thinks he will!!

Another gorgeous evening

2011-08-31T21:58:00.000-07:00

I am loving the amazing sunsets we are having lately. Every night the boy and I check outside to see if we want to go take some more pictures. The colors are breath taking, and it's neat to see the boy get as excited about it as I do.

Craftin' Tuesday

2011-08-30T21:45:00.000-07:00

Every Tuesday, my friend and I get together to make something we found on Pinterest. Today it was Birthday boards. You hang a tag to indicate the next birthday coming up. It is pretty darn cute if I do say so myself. Daddy's birthday is the next one coming up, so his tag is hanging right now. It's fun to make things and be creative, and it's fun to hang out with my friend every week. It's interesting all of the things you can find on Pinterest. I've started another blog, Quite Pinteresting where you can see all of the crafty things we've made.

Run like The Flash

2011-08-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

The boy wanted picture of him running "super fast." I set it to a low shutter speed to try to get that effect, and I think it turned out pretty cool.

Room with a view

2011-08-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

I took this picture from our living room window. A. MAZ. ING. This is completely untouched, those are the real colors. I love fall sunsets, and fall is rapidly approaching. "I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world.... Heavenly Father created for me!"

Still doing it...

2011-08-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

I had thought that maybe baby girl was out growing her thumb sucking habit...but as you can see, I was wrong! It is still pretty cute, and she is still young enough that it is not really a problem though. She is such a doll, this is just another little endearing trait.

Spaghetti Slurpin' Siblings

2011-08-26T20:10:00.000-07:00

These kids LOVE Momma's spaghetti sauce! (Ok, it's my grandma's recipe but still...) It's not really a meal we can eat with company around for obvious reasons! Though baby girl looks like that after most meals really.

Deer-ly beloved

2011-08-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

It's always exciting for the kids to see deer and other wildlife. The boy was VERY happy to see this herd of deer enjoying their breakfast outside. They let me get pretty close for a picture, but not TOO close!

Cookie baker maker boy

2011-08-24T21:59:00.001-07:00

The boy REALLY wanted to make cookies today. He kept telling me that he is a good "Cookie baker maker." He cut all the shapes, and frosted and "sparkled" them all himself. He is a good cookie baker maker.

Baby fever!

2011-08-23T23:54:00.000-07:00

Baby girl LOVES all little ones. She plays with her baby dolls constantly, and if there is a real baby around, she is all over them. Literally. Like we had to restrain her. It is so cute to see her loving on a baby or a baby doll when she her self is not much older.

2011-08-22T23:13:00.000-07:00

The boy got all dressed up as "Dark Vader" today. He was even making the breathing noises and marching around. He is such an imaginative kid. He also had a light saber battle with Mommy, Daddy, Sister, and our friend who came for dinner and FHE. I love to watch him play.

Pictures by the boy

2011-08-21T23:08:00.000-07:00

The boy loves to take pictures. Before church today he got ahold of my camera and took some shots. He is getting better about framing shots, at least we can tell what these are of. Doesn't baby girl just look thrilled?

Baptism day

2011-08-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

Our sweet friend was baptized today, by Daddy. We were so glad to help bring her to the gospel of Christ, and proud of her for taking this step. She has become like a little sister to me, so it was such a wonderful day to be involved in her baptism. The boy especially was excited, he could barely keep still. Such a wonderful day!

Beach day

2011-08-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

I took the kids to the beach today for some fun in the sun. Unfortunately...someone forgot to inform the sun. It was VERY foggy. I still managed to get some cute pictures of them though.

(It's pretty easy with such good looking models!)

County Fair

2011-08-18T23:48:00.000-07:00

Baby girl got to go to her first county fair today. She LOVED the cows. She wasn't quite sure about the pigs though. She also liked the sheep , but not the horses. It was really fun to see her seeing things for the first time. The boy liked the carnival and the cotton candy. He also really liked all the free stuff from the vendors!

Play time with Daddy

2011-08-17T23:15:00.000-07:00

These kids sure do love their Daddy! They were playing "Lego Batman" together, and they couldn't be happier. Daddy loves to hang out with his munchkins as well, so I would say the adoration is mutual. Sister especially lately has been a Daddy's girl.

The Boy bears his testimony

2011-08-16T23:54:00.000-07:00

Mommy: *****, what are you typing?
The Boy: My testimony.
Mommy: Your testimony? Will you read it to me?
The Boy: I know the church is true and I know the gospel and I’d like to share my testimony
and I love the church and I know the church is true and I love and I know how and I learned at church. Um I know the gospel and I know the church is true and I knowed that I get teached from my Sister Dejong and her know the stuff. And, when I get sick and I can’t go to church and I can’t learn. And then and I know the church is true and I know I love the church and I know the church is better and, and um, and we live in an L house and I love the church. The Book of Mormon is true and Jesus... is Christ and I know that Jesus is the Christ and that all.
Mommy: Thats all?
The Boy: Uh huh...and I know this is Jesus’ gospel and I know that Jesus made us and I know the church is true and I know the gospel is good and I know Jesus is true and I know that God is God and Jesus is.. give us give us and the gospel make us and the gospel is and the gospel of the church tells us everything and that all. And the end. I didn’t get it all. And I know the church, and I know the temple is true and I knowed the family is true. And... Jesus Christ amen.
Mommy: Amen

2011-08-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

Today for FHE, we had a scavenger hunt. The boy quite enjoyed looking for "treasures from Heavenly Father."

Here are the "treasures" he collected;

4 rocks, 3 pine cones, 6 flowers, a leaf, a feather, a walnut, an oyster shell, and a quail egg shell.

Pretty pretty princess

2011-08-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

Baby girl got this beautiful dress from Grammy and Opa when she was born. This is the first time she's worn it, so I wanted to take a picture. Unfortunately she was not cooperating, so I did not get a picture of her standing up. The closest I got was her lying straight on her back. =) Silly girl. This was her first day of nursery also, she is about 4 weeks early, but.... she is such a Momma's girl that I worried she would freak out if I just dropped her off and left next month, so I took her in for a few minutes to do a "test run." I left to help brother give the scripture in Primary, and when I came back to get her, she was having such fun that she didn't want to leave! The nursery leaders said she was doing fine and that I could leave her, so she spent two hours enjoying herself in nursery. It was a bit of a relief. She is old enough that she is just a distraction in Sunday School and Relief Society. She is bored, so she gets noisy and starts complaining. She is such an opinionated little thing!

Wishful thinking

2011-04-18T23:29:00.000-07:00

The boy heard something on the radio about tying notes to a balloon and letting it go. He decided he MUST do this. So tonight for FHE, we got several mylar balloons, made little post cards and tied them on. The balloons did not really float very well, and they took FOREVER to float up out of sight. My guess is that they won't even make it out of the county, if we get any response from them at all. But, the boy enjoyed it, so that is what really matters.

2011-04-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

The Boy has made friends with some of the kids from the play he is in, so we had them and their parents over for dinner and to dye Easter eggs. It was a lot of fun, and the boy really enjoyed having company over for him.

Our finished eggs, and sister being a good egg and watching!

Quote from General Conference

2011-04-15T21:56:00.000-07:00

I loved this quote from President Monson at General Conference. I put it on this picture I took of the Seattle temple. I love the way it turned out.

Is there anything prettier than cherry blossoms?

2011-04-14T23:37:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about spring in the PNW is all of the cherry blossoms. They are so pretty and delicate looking. I love the color, the fluffiness of them, the way the petals fall off in the wind like a cotton candy shower....EVERYTHING! I wish they lasted longer, but the fact that they don't is part of what makes them so special.

Generations

2011-04-13T23:18:00.000-07:00

My grandparents are in town, and staying with us. It's so fun to see the kids interacting with them. The boy just LOVES Grandpa, while baby girl is quite taken with Grandma. These are two of my most favorite people, and I love having them here. I have learned a lot about them that I never knew before, just listening to their stories of their lives. I love that my kids know them and get to spend time with them.

Thumb sucker!

2011-04-12T21:49:00.000-07:00

Baby girl is still a thumb sucker. I think it is adorable. She always sucks her right thumb, and she is so cute about it, she hooks her other fingers over her nose and she can talk and smile around it. She seems to lately only do it when she is tired, so I think she might be outgrowing it. It is a super cute little habit she has.

Shadow dancing

2011-04-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

The boy was dancing with his shadow, and he kept telling it "red light" and "green light." It was pretty hilarious. Speaking of hilarious, here are some funny things he has said lately.
*Eating a tomato he said "This pretty much rocks my whole mouth."
*After church he was singing "Christ the Lord has risen today, a-a-a-a-lle-lu-u-ia. In a one horse open sleigh, a-a-a-a-lle-lu-u-ia." LoL!!
*Daddy told him to quit being silly and eat his meal. He said "This is not a meal..it's a vacation!"
* "Mom you're not pretty, you're just a mom."
* I coughed and he said "say excuse me" I asked why and he said "Your mouth tooted."
* I was super sick on Tues, and I went in to take a nap, when I came out he kept calling me "Mama bear." Finally I asked why he was calling me that and he said "Because you were snoring like a big bear."
* "When Santa Claus brings me something....I KEEP it!"
* "Ow!" Mom "What's the matter?" Boy "I just fell on my spleen."
* He was lying in my lap with his head on my stomach and said "What a comfy pillow." After a few minutes, he moved his head several inches north and said "Oh, a bigger pillow!"
* Mommy "You are my knight in shining armor." Boy "No, I'm just a kid... in pajamas!"
‎*"Mom, can you tell me another story?" "No I just told you one." "I forgot it...it's gone out of my head."
*When I asked him what he learned in preschool, "When I get bigger my belly will grow... and my wiener."
*"I'm using my xray vision to see the milk in your boobies."
*Me"I don't negotiate with terrorists." Boy "Yeah we don't groceries state with carrots."
* When I gave him a hug, he said "Don't squeeze too tight, all my juice will run out and I'll have no energy drinks left."

My gorgeous kiddos!

2011-04-10T23:36:00.001-07:00

Not much explanation needed here....I got some great pix of the kiddos today.

The boy is a dancing fool!

2011-04-09T23:22:00.000-07:00

The boy is in our local high school's production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." They were learning the dance to "Go go Joseph" and he was quite excited. I think he is the only one who gave 100% up there...too bad he's not *exactly* doing the dance the way they were teaching it! There is something to be said for enthusiasm though. He'll get it, I'm sure. And, if he doesn't, then he will still be the cutest one up there!! (sorry it's not great quality, it was taken with my cell phone!)

Ready for work

2011-04-08T23:20:00.000-07:00

The boy took this picture of Daddy in his work clothes. He looks so nice in a shirt and tie, I'm glad he wears one every day. The boy is a pretty good photographer, for a 4 year old!

Lovely View

2011-04-07T23:16:00.000-07:00

I can't ever get over how beautiful our little hometown is. Every day I see something that makes me take pause. This was taken from the end of our street, with my cell phone!

Let me count the ways...

2011-04-06T23:13:00.000-07:00

The boy had me draw this hopscotch for him, and he wrote in the numbers all by himself! That is the first time I have seen him write 1-10 and he was so proud! Way to go!!

Generations

2011-04-05T23:09:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Bob and Grandma Bob have been staying with us for a few day while they are in town. The boy is quite enamored with his Grandpa, and baby girl eventually warmed up (she is SUCH a Momma's girl!) We were sad to see them leave, but we enjoyed visiting with them. I learned a lot about them that I never knew before, just listening to their stories of their lives. I love that my kids know them and get to spend time with them.

You're no bunny till some bunny loves you!

2011-04-04T23:05:00.000-07:00

The boy loves to hold his bunny and let it jump around him. We had to have a little talk about being gentle, but since then he is so incredibly soft with it. He is such a sweet boy, and a joy to have in our home!

WHEE!

2011-04-03T17:04:00.000-07:00

Baby girl loves it when Daddy holds her upside down. She giggles and grins and kicks and squeals. Mommy is always chastising Daddy about being gentle, but Baby girl seems to enjoy herself, so maybe Daddy is on to something here!

Corn snakes are soft and tickle you

2011-04-02T16:28:00.000-07:00

One of the boy's favorite past times is going to the pet store to look around. Today they were cleaning out the snake terrariums and there was a snake skin that had been shed. The employee told the boy he could have it if he wanted it...which much to my chagrin he did. The boy has been talking non stop about corn snakes lately. I don't know where he got his information, but he says "Corn snakes are soft and they tickle you and they want to climb all over you. Mean snakes want to eat you. "

Lil stinker!

2011-04-01T16:23:00.000-07:00

Brother had a powdered donut sitting on the countertop. When he came out from getting him dressed, we found that SOMEONE had stolen it. I'm not sure who it could have been. There has been no ransom note. There is really nothing to go on.

Not quite....

2011-03-31T16:19:00.000-07:00

We want baby girl to take a nap IN her playpen! She scooted under there and put herself to bed. So...we left her!

When we're helping we're happy!

2011-03-30T16:14:00.000-07:00

The boy LOVES to help vacuum. The handle goes all the way down to where he can push it easily, and today I got out of the shower to find him vacuuming without having been asked!! What a sweet helper boy!

Spring is springing!

2011-03-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

It's been slow coming, but maybe it is finally spring! The cherry blossoms are all blooming, we've had some sunshine, and the baby animals are starting to be born (like our Happy Bunny!)

Making a sandwich

2011-03-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

I bought the boy a Lunchable to eat on the run between errands. He was awfully quiet in the backseat, so I asked what he was doing, and he said he was making a sandwich. I turned around at a red light and found him trying to eat this monstrosity! What a goofball.

I'm a ninja, Mom.

2011-03-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

Daddy brought home these adorable kimonos for the kids from Korea. Today, they got to wear them to church. The boy loves his, and kept running his fingers along the designs. Walking into church he did this weird slide move. I asked what he was doing and he said, very matter of fact, "I'm a ninja, mom." It was pretty cute.

Look Whoo's 1!

2011-03-26T22:39:00.000-07:00

Baby girl had her first birthday party today. We had an owl "Look Whoo's 1" theme. Everything was brown and pink with adorable owls. We had our closest friends over for lunch, cake, and presents. Baby girl was sweet and adorable, then went to take a nap! It was a good day.

First field trip!

2011-03-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

The boy's preschool class took a field trip today to get ice cream at a local coffee shop/ bakery. It is a trip of about half a mile, and the class walked there. I asked the boy what flavor he got, and he said "green." He was quite proud of himself for walking "far far away" to get ice cream. It is quite the event apparently, the teachers take the class every year. He had a lot of fun, and though he loves preschool, he is ready for spring break next week!

Baby girl...by the numbers.

2011-03-24T21:48:00.000-07:00

Baby girl had her one year old baby appointment today. Here's how she stacks up...
Height... 30 inches... 75th percentile
Weight... 22 pounds... 75th percentile
Head circumference... 17 inches... 75th percentile
Iron level... 12.2 ... Really good!

75 seems to be her lucky number! The doctor was impressed with her dexterity and fine motor skills, and her verbal skills. She however was TERRIFIED with the picture of a deer that was painted on the wall. The only "problem" we noted was that she seems to be suffering from night terrors. She will, almost every night, start screaming/crying. She never wakes up for it, and it only lasts a few minutes, but every night it makes me miserable. I am so sad that my sweet baby is distressed. Every morning she wakes up happy and smiling though, so she seems to be ok. She had to have 5 shots (immunizations) and a toe poke (to check her iron.) She was NOT happy about that, but then she got a book from the doctor (they give each kid a book at every scheduled check up, which is an awesome thing for the doctor to do!) full of pictures of babies, and she loves it.

National Toast Day!

2011-03-23T22:03:00.000-07:00

A teenaged friend of mine was looking at obscure holidays and discovered that today is National Toast day...so we celebrated. The girls made crazy t-shirts with the slogans "Make toast, not war" and "Spread the love, and the butter." They created a Facebook event, and invited everyone to celebrate by eating toast, making funny shirts, and spreading the love (and the butter!) So, here is my shirt I made. And yes, we had toast for breakfast! It's fun to be silly sometimes.

New hair color

2011-03-22T23:42:00.000-07:00

It was about time for a picture of Momma in here...so I present to you my new hair color. I went today and we decided on a more reddish, strawberry blonde color. It looks dark in the picture, but it's not actually that dark. I like that it makes my eyes look more green!

Crazy kid!

2011-03-21T23:40:00.000-07:00

Yeah, he's eating a plate full of ketchup. He said it was good, and he seemed to enjoy it. One way to save money on appetizers!

Korea pix

2011-03-20T23:25:00.000-07:00

Korea pix

2011-03-19T23:09:00.000-07:00

Korea pix

2011-03-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

Over the next few days I will post some of the pix Daddy took while he was in Korea.

BIG day!

2011-03-17T22:28:00.000-07:00

It is a big day at our house... Daddy got home, and it is baby girl's first birthday!! No time to talk, gotta celebrate!

Baby girl's birthday pix

2011-03-16T22:27:00.000-07:00

Baby girl's birthday pix

2011-03-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

Baby girl's birthday pix

2011-03-14T22:22:00.000-07:00

Baby girl's birthday pix

2011-03-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

Baby girl's birthday pix

2011-03-12T22:16:00.000-08:00

Baby girl's birthday pix

2011-03-11T22:14:00.000-08:00

Now, we get to glimpse at some of baby girl's pictures. I can't believe she is turing one!!

The boy's birthday pix

2011-03-10T22:11:00.000-08:00

2011-03-09T22:08:00.000-08:00

The boy's birthday pix

2011-03-08T22:05:00.000-08:00

The Boy's birthday pix

2011-03-07T22:04:00.000-08:00

The Boy's birthday pix

2011-03-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

The Boy's birthday pix

2011-03-05T22:01:00.000-08:00

Ok, for a few days I will feature a picture of the boy from his birthday session. (Please excuse my lack of new pictures each day. I have been super busy with Daddy gone and I have not been taking pictures every day. These are all new to you though!)

Ouchie!

2011-03-04T21:56:00.000-08:00

The boy was eating a fruit snack today and bit down on something hard and sharp. I can't tell if it's glass because it's covered in fruit snack, but it cut him up a little bit. Not too bad, no stitches required, just enough to make him bleed and scare Momma! I called the company, and they sent me a coupon for free fruit snacks. Um hello...I don't think he'll be eating those again for a while!

First cookie

2011-03-03T13:35:00.000-08:00

Baby girl got her first cookie at the grocery store today. She quite enjoyed it, and again, ate like a Gremlin. As if anyone would DARE snatch it away from her. She is growing so fast! I can't believe she is almost 1 year old. She amazes me every day.

Birthday portraits

2011-03-02T21:29:00.000-08:00

I took the kids for birthday portraits, since their birthdays are only a month apart I can have them taken right in between. Over the next few weeks, I will post them a few at a time. I will start with some of the kids together today. Happy birthday to my beautiful babies!

March marches in!

2011-03-01T16:23:00.000-08:00

Yay for March! With March comes Spring, Daylight savings time, Baby girl's birthday, and SHAMROCK SHAKES! I LOVE shamrock shakes. I drank one every single day last year in March while I was pregnant with baby girl. And, it appears that she has inherited that particular taste bud. She was supposed to share with me, and she drank every drop. I did not get a single slurp. When I tried to take the cup from her, she growled at me. I swear, she growled. She sounded just like a Gremlin. Luckily they only have them for about 2 1/2 weeks a year, or we'd all have to join shakaholics anonymous!

Pretty baby

2011-02-28T21:19:00.000-08:00

I get stopped all the time by people who want to tell me how beautiful baby girl is. And she is. She is such a beautiful, delicate girl. She has a lot of personality, too. She is completely a Momma's girl, but she loves to flirt (as long as Mommy is holding her!) She already had a porcelain doll look to her, but since we got her ears pierced, she is the epitome of girly. I love it!

Giving a talk!

2011-02-27T21:06:00.000-08:00

Today the boy gave a talk for the first time ever. Of course, Mommy wrote it, but the boy did an awesome job giving it! He was not nervous or shy, he spoke loudly and clearly, and he enjoyed himself. Here is his talk;
" We show love for Heavenly Father by following His plan of happiness. Last week we were in Seattle and we saw a man holding up a sign with mean things written on it. I asked my Momma why Heavenly Father didn't take that sign away from the man. My Momma told me that Heavenly Father shows us love by letting us make choices. It is a part of His plan. Even when we make bad choices, Heavenly Father loves us. We have to accept the consequences of our choices, whether they are good or bad choices. I hope all of us will always make good choices as we follow HEavenly Father's plan. It is not always easy to make the right choice, but I know that it will make me happy. And it will make Heavenly Father happy when I make right choices and follow His plan. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

Bowling ball

2011-02-26T12:59:00.000-08:00

Daddy left for Korea early this morning, so to keep us occupied, our good buddies took us "bowling ball." The boy always calls it "bowling ball." As in, "We had fun bowling ball today," or "We went to bowling ball." It was a lot of fun, and even though he had bumpers, the boy did really well. He did not always bump the bumpers, and was able to throw the "bowling ball" straight down the lane often. It was really a fun day!

Family fun

2011-02-25T20:55:00.000-08:00

Daddy leaves tomorrow for TDY in Korea. We have had a fun week with Daddy off work to get ready for his departure. It will be hard, but we will all do fine, and will be able to enjoy our reunion next month.

More snow!

2011-02-24T20:47:00.000-08:00

We have had a white winter! This is the most snow we've ever had in a winter. The snow is so pretty, it makes everything look so clean and pure. It's a great equalizer. No matter how ugly your house, yard, car may be...when there is a snowfall, it all looks beautiful and soft. Kind of a metaphor for repentance...no matter how ugly your sins may be, when you have asked the Lord for forgiveness, the sin looses it's shape and becomes a beautiful and soft part of a bigger landscape.

Bird boy

2011-02-23T20:43:00.000-08:00

The boy LOVES to feed the birds at the Woodland Park Zoo. He always manages to get a bird or two to come rest on his food stick. I have several pictures just like this one over the past few years. It's a joy to see his face light up when a bird comes to him.

Pacific Science Center

2011-02-22T20:38:00.000-08:00

It's always great to see kids get excited about learning things. The boy loves all the things he can see, touch, play with, and learn about at the Pacific Science Center. There is an amazing butterfly exhibit where you get to walk around and see butterflies all around you. Of course Stanley was invited!

Sight seeing with Stanley

2011-02-21T20:22:00.000-08:00

We had to take Stanley to some of the classic tourist spots. The boy thinks Stanley is the coolest thing ever, so we are starting our own. You can reach him at FlatStanley98382@yahoo.com

Travels with Stanley

2011-02-20T22:45:00.000-08:00

We decided to take a family trip to Seattle to do a lot of fun stuff as a family before Daddy goes TDY to Korea. Stanley came along for the ride, and we had fun showing him all the sites. Baby girl was more impressed with her toes than with the fish at the aquarium!

Par-tay!

2011-02-19T23:49:00.000-08:00

When the boy woke up this morning, the first thing he said was "It's my birthday party!" He was so stoked to have his party. I was hoping not everyone who was invited showed up. I know that sounds terrible, but usually I have an 11 kids invited limit so that we have 12 with the boy, and I can manage that just fine. But, since the boy goes to two different preschools, I had to invite 18 kids to this party. I don't have room or management skills for that many kids! Luckily, we had 12 show up so it was manageable. The boy had a lot of fun, the kids had fun, and the boy got some presents he LOVES. A friend of mine made the cake and cupcakes, and I made the "pin the antennae on the robot" game. It was a good day!

Big girl!

2011-02-18T08:44:00.000-08:00

Baby girl was quite determined to eat breakfast all by herself today. She did not want help eating her pancakes. She managed to get herself fed and was all smiles afterwards!

Setting up for a robot party

2011-02-17T10:39:00.000-08:00

The boy's birthday party is on Saturday, and he could not stand it anymore, he HAD to decorate. So we put up streamers and robot swirly thingys. We also got the goody boxes all filled and ready. The boy is quite excited for his robot party!

Snowflakes keep falling on my head!

2011-02-16T21:30:00.000-08:00

We got a little flurry of snow today and baby girl was not thrilled about it. The flakes kept sticking to her "nose and eyelashes" so to speak, and she did not like it. I was trying to get a picture of the little snowflakes caught in her hair, but she kept chasing snowflakes like a cat with a string. It was pretty funny, but the more Daddy and I laughed, the more agitated she got, and boy did she let us know. She is definitely not the demure shy type!

So fun it's frightening?

2011-02-15T14:24:00.000-08:00

The boy adores CandyLand. He was so in to the game, that when I called his name and told him to look at me, he gave me this face. All I wanted was a picture of him playing his new game (he got it for his birthday,) but this face cracked me up so I kept it!

Showing love...for cupcakes!

2011-02-14T20:11:00.000-08:00

These kids scarfed their Valentine's day cupcakes. You would think that they had never had cupcakes before. Especially baby girl, though I think she ended up wearing about half of hers. I love baking treats for my sweet hearts.

They call it puppy love!

2011-02-13T14:08:00.000-08:00

The boy got this puppy dog from one of the older sisters in our ward yesterday, and he has carried it around since. I even had to let him take it to church, though he stayed in my purse. I love how sweet and sensitive that boy is. He is such a cutie.

Smoochy face

2011-02-12T16:03:00.000-08:00

The boy always wants to hold baby sister. She usually is quite agreeable to that scenario, but today she was not at all interested in smooching. Big brother wasn't taking no for an answer, and planted one on her anyway. It is so amazing to see how they interact. The boy is such a good big brother, always wanting to help Momma with baby, and always making sure to talk to baby, play with her and love on her. What a lucky girl!

Stanley is trying to flatten me!

2011-02-11T20:57:00.000-08:00

The boy was being silly, and said that Stanley was trying to flatten him so that we would mail the boy off and Stanley could live with us forever. Very imaginative, but should I be worried that my 4 year old is making up sinister plots?!

Hair!

2011-02-10T19:53:00.000-08:00

The boy has become obsessed with having his hair blow dried. He says he likes the way it feels. Today he insisted on doing it himself. He is, after all, a little adult! Funny kid.

School birthday pt. 2

2011-02-09T20:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's preschool got robot cake pops, today's got mini robot cupcakes. The boy was very excited to share his robots with his friends. He is having a robot themed birthday party this year, and has been obsessed with robots for the past few months. Happy birthday big boy!

School birthday pt. 1

2011-02-08T10:41:00.000-08:00

The boy goes to two different preschools, and he got to celebrate his birthday at one of them today. I made robot cake pops and the kids had a lot of fun picking the candy faces off and devouring them. The boy got to wear a "Happy Birthday" crown, and he just LOVES being the center of attention!

Happy birthday little man!

2011-02-07T13:31:00.000-08:00

Today is my little guy's birthday. He celebrated all day, and had a lot of fun with the family. His party is not until next week, but he got to open his family presents today and have a cupcake with dinner. Happy birthday sweetie!!

Last day being 3!

2011-02-06T14:23:00.000-08:00

The boy turns 4 tomorrow and he is so excited about it. He got dressed for church today and told me he could do it himself because he is a long kid. (He means tall.) He wanted to show me how he knows how old he is, and he told me "big kids go to Kindergarten." He is such a precocious little man. Every day he brings us such joy and laughter. I can't believe he is already 4 years old. My first born is no longer a baby, and it makes me so happy... and sad!

Beach day

2011-02-05T00:19:00.000-08:00

The boy thought Flat Stanley needed to go to the beach and see the "sea waves." I asked if Stanley was going to get a tan and the boy looked at me like I was crazy and said "that makes no sense." He cracks me up!

Furry faced friends

2011-02-04T11:35:00.000-08:00

Our town has a game farm, where you can go drive through several acres, feeding bread to the animals that come up to the car. They stick their heads right in and visit. We saw llamas, yaks, zebras, buffalo, elk, reindeer, goats, horses, peacocks, rhinos, bears, and all sorts of birds. They also have tigers, lions, wolves, cougars and other big cats in cages. It is a lot of fun and always an adventure. A buffalo licked my hand and sneezed all over us. Yuck!