S.T.O.D.D.A.R.D

My little nuggets are 5 months old!

2012-01-12T16:22:00.001-08:00

5 months??? Is it even possible? At 12am, 2am, 4am, and awake for the morning at 6 it seems like much longer! But in our normal day to day its going far too quickly!
A brief summery of where the girls are at this month.
~Alexa weighs 12.1 pounds and Avery 12.9. My little girl is catching up! Alexa is still quite a bit shorter so shes sporting some adorable rolls!
~ they are sleeping worse than our newborn days. Waking every 2 hours despite many efforts and techniques!
~ they are rolling back to belly. And belly to back. Avery rolls all over the place. Alexa on the other hand sees no need to see the world from a different angle :)
~Avery got her first tooth over Christmas. My mild and mellow child was anything but those things!
~ they are grabbing everything! The cutest has to be them reaching for each others hands and then they battle to get the others hand in their mouth, so fun!
~ they are wearing 3 to 6 month clothing and size 1 diapers.
~Alexa now blows raspberries. Constantly drenched with silva :)
~Avery is still drenched 99% of the time in spit up. She is still projectile vomiting putting her below the 3rd percent in weight! But she's a happy spitter lol
~ right now Alexa is quite a mommas girl. She cries when she can't see me or sees me holding Avery.
~ they got some blankets for Christmas that they can't sleep without
~Avery is still easy going and full of smiles, brief set back with her teeth! She smiles with her entire face! Alexa is still stubborn as ever. But makes up with it with her looks lol.
They are hands down the best gifts ever! I adore each moment with them. I wish life would slow down so I could soak them in more. With homeschooling its hard to not feel rushed as I enjoy time with them. Something I'm working on :)

Alot of nakedness...

2011-12-14T11:49:00.001-08:00

Teeth are over rated!

2011-12-03T03:22:00.001-08:00

Teeth around here are dropping like flies! In one week Makenna lost 2 and Brayden lost one! This tooth fairy needs a second job!

There is another one of me...

2011-11-20T13:17:00.001-08:00

The girls are now beginning to realize there is another one of them! I can sit them up in front of each other and they will smile and coo. Hands down the best thing ever! They will attempt to reach for each others facial attachments...who needs toys when you have a twin???

3 months old...how is it even possible?

2011-11-16T03:47:00.001-08:00

You long for 3 months to go by when you are pregnant...I now find myself clinging to each minute that passes. A race that the hands of time are continually battling me.
Its currently 3:40am and I'm up with my sweet Alexa, yet again. Some how I have a different view and an unexplained joy in these wee hours. I soak in the perfectly made fingers and delicate toenails, smell the lingering hints the day has left behind, feel their soft fuzzy heads against my cheek, trace the outline of their soft pink lips, kiss every exposed inch of skin.
These moments I get to examine each one separately. Look, truly look, at the wonder of what God has done. God formed 2 perfect babies in my womb.Who am I to be this blessed? The bustle of the day has left me in awe of Him. Humbled by His goodness. In the quiet of the dawn I am able to slow down the ticking clock and enjoy the moment....

Have to start somewhere....

2011-11-10T13:14:00.001-08:00

So 3 months later here I am to announce the birth of our girls! Born Aug 5. Avery Scott weighing 5 lbs 14 oz and 21 inches and Alexa Drew 3 lbs 14oz and 16 inches. Alexa had to stay in Seattle for 2 weeks. I hope to blog about that adventure soon! Along with some pictures from the hospital but for now here are some current ones of our sweet miracles...

Avery

Alexa

My 5 kids!

Ben's birthday bash

2011-08-02T16:43:00.000-07:00

One thing I love about having boys is the simplicity of their idea of a good time! Friends, food, and some rambunctious activity!

Food check!

Friends check!

Rambunctious activity double check!

Brandon was the designated quarterback, such a great dad!

All and all a very fun, low key, stress free, 12 year old birthday!

31 weeks....

2011-06-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

Well if I could title this week of pregnancy it would be.....

Hormones be a Ragin!

I'm a wreck to put it mildly. I'm all over the map... Sad, emotional, angry, very angry, and worthy of lock up! It's varying degrees in the anger department none of them very becoming. And when you start crying when someone simply asks, 'how are you?' It's time to just limit your access to the outside world! Think this would just be a good week to skip for everyone involved.

This weeks artwork is by all 3 kids. Ben contributed the Christmas tree, hand print, and thought it would be hysterical to put the Mexican flag??? Brayden did the butterfly, smilie faces, tulip, and random globs of color. And Makenna did the the apple tree, clouds, sun, and a snail (that one I can't identify yet!)

Ben turns 12...gasp!

2011-06-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

How did this happen??? I have a 12-year-old! Doesn't seem possible that it's been 12 years since Ben came into our lives. Until I start telling him his 'day of birth' story which he probably hears every year. The look on his face, as he heard the story for the tenth time, this year showed me that indeed he is 12!

Another sign that he is 12 is that he asked for money this year for a bigger purchase!

And his grandparents came through with flying colors!

A very cool baseball book

Then off to the lake for some swimming!

After the boys baseball game we headed to Sonic with the Ellersick family

Oh how Ben loves this boy and have to say he's pretty much Ben's number one fan!

Our wonderful family celebrating one wonderful young man! We sure love you Ben and what you add to each of our lives!

30 weeks....

2011-06-20T04:35:00.000-07:00

"that baby is ready to come out!", "Whoa...how much longer do you have left?", "I hope you're having twins cuz I've never seen a belly that big!", "Good lord how many more weeks? Do they know how big those babies are going to be?" and "look out here she comes".....these are just a few of my faves in these past weeks. All compliments given to me by women none the less! One of them also 7 months pregnant who asked to rub my belly while saying, "this is the largest belly I've seen". Really??? Because I'm pretty sure you have your own to rub! I think we as women forget the very fragile state pregnancy produces. I mean double hormones does mean that I could go postal at any given moment, so filter maybe just a tad? Just ask my husband who got my wrath after me not being able to find ANYthing to eat in our house yesterday! I have needs people and the top of that list is food and kind words! :)

This work of art was created by Makenna and her friend Haylee. It's great on many levels. First, it's a sleepover activity that I don't have to move for! Second, with this pic I get to view areas on my belly that are not viewable to me currently. And lastly look at the space I provided for them to be creative....talk about an open canvas!

camera...

2011-06-10T18:02:00.000-07:00

Oh now is so not the time to lose my camera! But I did! My memory was the first thing to go after my waistline. I think it's at the baseball fields but it's all a little hazy! Praying I find it so I can document these last months like I want to. Maybe it's with the mailbox key and ipod that are also MIA???

pregnancy pics at 27 weeks

2011-05-29T18:44:00.001-07:00

Before I got too much larger I wanted to capture this season of my life. With all the difficult parts this pregnancy has possessed I never for a moment want to take for granted the miracle taking place inside of me. So here we are, the 3 of us....

Ben gets baptized...

2011-05-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

Beautiful day for a beautiful moment in Ben's life!

Proud moment for all of us

Brandon praying over our boy

Pastor Steve who is Ben's youth pastor has been such an amazing instrument in Ben's life in just a few short months of finding a home church.

Oh Ben we are so proud of you and the man you are becoming. You have such a giving and gentle heart and your love for the Lord shines through all you do. Thank you for being who you are in Him! We look forward to seeing all that He has in store for your life as you chose to continue to serve Him in all you do.

fish on....

2011-05-10T15:48:00.000-07:00

I love watching my kids fish. I love watching how independent the boys are now baiting their own hooks, restringing their line, getting un-snagged, unhooking the fish. It's all just amazing to watch how much they've grown up.

Cutest fisherman ever! We went to buy bait. The boys picked out lures and she picked out this hat! I mean it really does come down to looking good!

After 3 hours we decided silly pictures was more entertaining!

Ahhh....nothing like a day at the lake

One day at a time....

2011-05-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

God continually brings me to a place of complete surrender. I know my desire to be 'in control' gives Him lots of opportunity to show me just how 'out of control' I am. He does this because He desires to deepen my dependency on Him and bring me to a place where all I can do is look up! This pregnancy has proven to be another opportunity for Him to teach a very slow learner :)

We right now are dealing with pre-eclampsia at a very early time in pregnancy. This warrants all sorts of concerns and scares at 23 weeks. As of today I've started blood pressure medication. Even though there are risks involved to the babies, the bigger risk is it being untreated. I've had the prescription for 5 days and have been praying what to do. Today I was able to talk to the nurse, at the University of WA high risk pregnancy department, that I will be seeing on Thursday. She spoke to me clearly and with great knowledge and I got off the phone knowing I had no choice but start the medication. I'm thankful for the peace that came from waiting on the Lord and waiting for Him to show me my next step. Today He really just showed me to take one day at a time. I can't get ahead of myself or HIM and I can't know what happens next. What I can do is rest in the fact that I serve a God who gives me what I need for that day. And today I have peace.

The evidence needed for a few boys around this house!

Makenna and I just keep saying our motto 'girls rule and boys drool!' ;)

This one is great. It just takes some head tilting and deep concentration ;) So both girls are labeled. You can see that Baby A (Alexa) is resting her head on Baby B's (Avery's) belly. She is tilting her head backwards and looking at her sister...love it!

Our first 3D picture. Only Alexa showed up for this photo shoot this time around! But I sure love her little hand up by her face. And I can see Makenna in her little nose and mouth!

And lastly me at 23 weeks!

These are also the pants that will never be worn again! (moment of silence) Sadly on my way to the doctors appointment, with only 15 minutes to spare, I hopped out of the car and heard a ripping sound. I immediately felt the draft and knew we had an issue! From crotch to rear I was completely exposed. I rushed to Target with white sweater, featured above, tucked into the back of my pants and my purse place strategically in front of my crotch. Rushed/waddled back grabbed some yoga pants, put them on, ripped off tags, paid, and made it to appointment on time!

Just one day at a time :)

the results are in....

2011-04-14T18:01:00.000-07:00

The results are in....

We are having 2 little girls!!

Introducing....

Alexa Drew

She is named after my brother Nathan Andrew

Avery Scott

She is named after my brother Scott

Alexa's feet

These are their two heads together! Not sure how all these angles work. Just before this we got video of Alexa kicking Avery in the face.

And here we are at 20 weeks! Not really sure where these girls are going to go in the upcoming weeks! Just know it's probably going to involve more and more Maalox!

changing my mind....

2011-03-28T17:58:00.000-07:00

A pregnant girls allowed to do such things right???
I mean I do it when I order at a restaurant. I'm all set with with a chicken salad and then I see something shiny like mozzarella sticks!
Or I start trying to figure out dinner and all the sudden pizza is the only answer that really makes sense!
So I originally thought I was having one boy and one girl. And I'm going to now say I think it's two girls.
This could be from a variety of reasons leading me in this direction. First, I have my two girl names ready to go and can't for the life of me think of a single boy name. Second, I have a teenage boy at home so I'm seeing boys a little differently right now! Ok, yes people, I have not done teenage girls yet and I know that has to be worse than this but for now this is the only crazy I know! And third, I have all of Makenna's girl clothes still so that would sure be helpful since the double diaper thing is going to break us :)
I'll let you know in 10 days!!! Can't wait!! :)

pregnancy bliss...

2011-03-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

I was so sad to think that we could officially be done having babies. To think that I would never feel a baby kick inside of me again or nurse a baby in the wee hours of the morning made my heart hurt.

So what God did was give me a double dose of all the other things I forgot about :)

Pregnancy Bliss 101...

*the 'morning' sickness that was SO not just in the morning lasting a wonderful 15 weeks

*the peeing every hour all night long because I'm already as big as I was at 8 months pregnant!

*feeling like everyday I ran a marathon that I was not prepared or conditioned for!

*12 hours of sleep being just not quite enough

*the burping and other air based activity that took over the entire 1st trimester

*the heartburn that left me last week wishing God had skipped the whole 'creating fish day'

*the pillow that is already wedged between my legs to sleep to keep the stabbing pains in my girl parts to a low roar :)

*packing emergency underwear with me everywhere I go in case I sneeze, laugh, or cough

*being hungry ALL of the time. So hungry that last week I woke up at 4am craving hash browns, thought about them all day, went to Denny's for dinner just for hash browns, and then hovered over the toilet for the rest of the evening. Needless to say I'm over the hash brown thing!

*hemorrhoids.....enough said!

I say all of that to say this...I would do it a hundred times over!

God is giving me 2 beautiful babies and it's just alot of work helping make 20 fingers and 20 toes :)

I want to remember ALL of it this time with it being the last time I'll experience it.

That means documenting the good, bad, and ugly so not for a moment will I forget this miracle!

Me at 14 weeks....

It was during this week that we had a huge scare. I started bleeding a lot for 5 very long days. I was sure something was terribly wrong and my heart was in pure anguish.

Finally after the nurse telling me each and every day 'there is nothing we can do at this point' she finally scheduled me an ultrasound to atleast see what was taking place.

Oh the joy and relief to see both our beautiful babies doing so amazingly well!

They did find the source to the bleeding. A blood clot that formed next to one of the babies from where the placenta pulled away slightly from the wall of my uterus.

So lots of rest, no lifting, and pelvic rest for atleast a couple of weeks were the orders. And pray that it didn't remain a continual bleed for the rest of the pregnancy,

which would put me at all sorts of other risks.

Since then I'm thankful to say we've had no more bleeding, thank you Lord!

Me at 16 weeks...

Yes I'm huge and yes it's alarming. Oh the faces I get when I say I'm 16 weeks... with twins. Which then starts all sorts of questions like "do twins run in your family", "wow..." I get that one a lot, "are these your first" to which ensues all sorts of other questions when I say that I have 3 at home. So I now see why my twin book says it's ok to just lie and say your 7 months along to strangers. So I think it's the way I will go. These strangers don't care and they don't know I've told the story 5 times already. So I will simply grin and say 7 months from here on out :)

April 7th is the magical day that we find out the sexes so stayed tuned for that!!

mind blowing....over the top....crazy....exciting....blessed....NEWS!!!

2011-02-16T16:32:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when something is so BIG you have to skip over things and arrive to current news. And our news is this.....

We are having TWINS!!

So I was not shocked because I just knew. Had this crazy gut feeling. All my dreams were with two babies, I would slip and say 'babies', I'm SO sick and tired this time around, and I'm freakin huge for 12 weeks! I only told those closest to me that I had these feelings about twins because I didn't want to appear too crazy!

Here is baby 'A' who is closest to the exit and the one I think is a girl :) The harder one to get good pictures of but the one who kicks Baby 'B' in the back on the head when he invades her space lol.

Here is baby 'B' who I think is a boy! Isn't he sweet? :) We won't know the sexes until next ultrasound. I am currently 13 weeks and they can't tell until atleast 16.

My sweetie sucking 'his' thumb! Amazing!!

And me at 12 weeks. When I was reading that my uterus was only the size of a grapefruit at this point it raised some red flags because I look and feel about 5 months along! I sent a picture to my mom and asked if this is just what happens when you've had 4 pregnancies and things are already stretched out! She just replied 'wow you look really pregnant'.

So there you have it... our BIG NEWS!!
Please send wine, diapers, and cash donations to....

31 Horseshoe Cir

-kidding of course except for the wine :)

Our too short of visit with the Branch Family!

2011-01-29T17:33:00.000-08:00

Our much too short of a visit with the Branch family! They all came up to Washington to welcome the newest member of the family, Jacque's little girl Neah! So we took the chance to go see all of them! They've got babies popping out all over the place so we were in heaven! Megan had her baby Liam with her who was 2 weeks old and Ashley had Max along who was 2 months old :) And Lyndee who was finally kid free had her time consumed with little people lol

Lyndee and Makenna

Uncle Tom and the boys watching football!

Makenna and adorable Max!

Ashley was so good about letting Makenna take over on her sweet boy!

Lyndee, Sandy, Makenna, and Max

Ben and Max. My boys were just as excited over this little bundle as me and Makenna were!

Isn't he just sweet?

Max is saying here, "Sooo...just throwing this out there...but when is the chick in the pink shirt giving me back to my momma???"

Makenna turns 5!

2011-01-23T15:29:00.000-08:00

Not sure how we got here but my sweet girl is 5!

Our gift to her was horse riding lessons....

She was a natural! Enjoyed each and every moment! I've never seen someone more in their element than she was this day!

A fairy birthday party

Makenna and her bestest friend Haylee!

The most beautiful fairies in the world!

Happy Birthday Makenna!

Oh what an amazing girl we have to celebrate! I love your generous heart and the piles of pictures you draw for your dad and me each day. You are such a gift from the Lord! I love how you nurture each of us when we are sad or sick. You are the first one to help and the first one to tell me I'm beautiful when I'm having a rough day. You are the beautiful one sweetie...inside and out! God sees the beauty within our hearts and thats the love and beauty that shines through you each and every day Makenna!

Happy Birthday to my favorite little girl! xoxox

Our 'stay'cation and BIG news....

2011-01-15T15:03:00.000-08:00

My mom kept our kids after our Portland trip. We came home completely kid-free which we found is fun for about 2 days and then what??? lol.

Drinks and appetizers with a view of the ocean... it was splendid!

A walk at the boardwalk

A very relaxing week for us! But we missed our kids like crazy!! It made us realize that we need to take up some hobbies when the kids leave the house because right now they are our hobby! It also made us realize that we need to take time to reconnect more often. It had been 9 years since we last had a kid free weekend! Surprising enough I did not end up pregnant with all our alone time...

that ended up taking place in November instead :)

Yep we're pregnant :)

party in Portland....

2011-01-07T19:22:00.000-08:00

Came to Portland to celebrate these two amazing people....Seriously such an amazing weekend!

Made our way to downtown to Nike Town...

Lots of posing and pictures taking place....

Shortly after this posing picture was taken is when we were told by an employee it is illegal to take pictures in Nike Town! Who knew??? Kids first broke the law under my supervision!

Lunch in downtown

Grandma with kiddos

For the wedding the attire was to wear a hat, boa, wig. So this is what I was able to get the boys to do other than a baseball hat!

Scott embraced the wig idea to the fullest! And here was born the Jamaican accent that lasted the entire weekend!

Sometimes it's better to just not ask lol

As amazing as Portland and all the activities that we did were, I have to say that the family time we had was priceless. With my mom, brothers, new sister, and my cousins. We never really have uninterrupted time and I found this to be the best part. I hadn't had the time I'd wanted with Brooke, my new sister. And I so enjoyed just being able to hang out from breakfast to the late hours making memories with her! It was a great trip and such a wonderful reason to come together to celebrate!

Brayden turns 8....

2011-01-05T11:38:00.000-08:00

The party....

Batting cages....Jensen, Chase, Brayden, Kobey, Ben

Pizza after and pirate names assigned

Pirate music and making their bandanas

My first official pirate cake. Ok, to others this might not seem like a big baking feat but trust me it's HUGE!

The finished bandanas

Our pirate flag...ready for our treasure hunt!

arrrr....the treasure map

I think we found something matey!

Oh Brayden how you brighten each of our days! Our family hit the gold mine with you:) You make us laugh with your quick sense of humor, your accents from far away lands, and quirky ways of doing things. You are loving, kind, and a friend to SO many. You will find the one spot on the couch that your bum will fit into and cuddle yourself into it! You just love to be touching someone...anyone! Just a cuddly, warm, and nurturing kid who we are blessed to call our son! You truly are such a gift to this family in SO many ways! We love you buddy, Happy 8th Birthday!

the kids take to the sky...

2010-12-19T23:18:00.000-08:00

We had an amazing opportunity in August to go see the Blue Angels in Seattle, have a BBQ on the run way, and hang out in the cockpit of our friends plane! Ok, I have to be honest I complained about this trip the entire way there lol. I don't see the excitement of planes barely missing each other in the air! The kids however totally soaked it all in! And totally loved being pilots for the day, they do make awfully cute pilots I must say :) And it turned out to be a super fun day!

So darn cute, she can fly my plane any day ;)

Brayden's drinking a little Dr. Pepper before he takes flight! You can see Makenna's Dr. Pepper already took effect!

"Too cool" for pilot's school! :)

Ben was very serious about his responsibilities! Proper pilot lingo and all!

He messed with many dials and fingers crossed Jim got them back where they belong!

This is one of those pictures that I can see how much these two really do look alike at moments!

the not so warm beach....

2010-12-18T05:31:00.000-08:00

We found this beach out in Oak Harbor after church. Super fun and beautiful but you'd never see me in this water! Seriously if you say beach it better be warm! This was like visiting the Artic but atleast the kids thought it was the best thing ever.

Makenna's face as she feels the water temperature!

As they all fully experience what it must've been like on the Titanic! ;) Ok maybe not quite that cold!

One of my favorite pictures of my boys

The view of this was far more breath taking than the ocean I must say.

And as you can see I stayed safe and warm on land for this one!

my cowgirl...

2010-12-02T15:47:00.000-08:00

Oh how my girl loves horses! Some day... my love....some day!!

our mini vaca...

2010-11-24T10:18:00.000-08:00

Living so close to Seattle we decided to take a day and make a little vacation out of it!

Hours of fun posing with all the statues as you can see!

Kids having a little heart to heart :)

Beautiful city...beautiful girl!

I have zero pics of me with kids. I physically have to hand the camara to Brandon and before I even get into place or Makenna is some what pulled together...snap! LOL. Well there it is an official none 'self-shot'!

We went on this ferry at sunset!

pose 1

For those of you who are thinking 'boy this looks familiar' it would be because it's a classic Napoleon Dynamite reenactment!

pose 2

pose 3

pose 4

pose 5

and finally pose 6...oh the fun a pillar of cement offers lol

You will notice that one child is MIA from the 'posing' activities. Guess we've finally arrived at the 'too cool' mentality!

We went to The Crab Pot because we saw it on Man Vs Food lol. They bring you a bucket of sea critters and a hammer and then you just go to town. Frankly I was grossed out! But the boys thought it was fantastic to hammer your food. Makenna and I stuck with our hamburgers!

The hammer, sea critters, and my cute family

Ok, so this is such a great picture. I first want to note the look on Makenna's face because it really says all we were both feeling lol. Second, you may be thinking what I was, "how is it possible to find something with beady eyes and hanging down tentacles appetizing?'.

And yet another thing that grossed me out. Ben having his first official oyster shooter! Have to say they don't get their boldness in trying new things from me!

My hammer crushin', sea eatin', bib wearin' hunk of a husband! Love you babe!

View of the city from the ferry

relaxing day at sea

my boys

such a beautiful day to see the city from this view point!

Such a great day and a great little vacation!

my favorite place....

2010-11-13T23:35:00.000-08:00

Hands down my favorite place here in WA. When the tides out it's truly an amazing place. The kids play and explore for hours. Love the memories we've made at Birch Bay....

Our attempt at being romantic :)

Digging...

And more digging....

My amazing trio

Cute kid!

The explorers!

My little swimmer!

'Man vs Wild'

He disappears for awhile and then reappears with a meal! All that 'Man vs Wild' has really paid off!

4th of July in November!

2010-11-09T05:23:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure I'm ever going to get caught up! But atleast we can all reflect on warmer times together!

Down at the lake for the day! Wonderful while the sun was out!!

My girl is growing up much too fast!

Trying to get a shot of those freckles that I love SO much!!

Me living on the edge and allowing Brayden to have a sparkler! A very big moment for both of us lol. I so hate the things! 2 years ago he burnt himself on one of these blasted things and we ended up having to fill out a accident report at the ambulance! I just wanted a band-aid to cover it until we got home!

Such a sweet picture of two of the loves in my life! Oh how I love this man. Daddy definitely is the best place to curl up when you're fading fast!

When I said "warmer times" I meant warmer times in other states!! :) Never in July in Utah or Idaho would you be wearing sweatshirts and cuddling under blankets!!

4th of July celebration number 2....

So I found that Makenna is quite amazing at volleyball! Who knew???

This picture totally cracks me up! The first time either of these men have looked at directions! They look rather stumped over this volleyball net assembly

Brayden age 7

Ben age 11

First lets again note the temperature of this night! And secondly can you find Brayden is this picture? lol

Ahhh sweet silence after a full day, so great!

sweet moments

2010-10-29T13:40:00.000-07:00

My kids truly are so sweet with each other in the big scheme of things! Such precious moments they share with each other that I don't want to forget!

Boys playing on the same team as each other this summer will always be a time that I hold so close to my heart. Watching them cheer each other on and have special signals across the field to each other was priceless. One of those memories when I'm in my rocking chair that will always bring joy to my heart!

Seriously could this be any more precious? These two together honestly just melt me. They have the sweetest relationship and truly just love each other.

Brandon and I left Ben in charge for a few hours and came home to find this! Ben reading to his siblings on the couch all squished in close to each other! So stinkin wonderful!

Testosterone!

2010-10-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

A man and his gun, truly nothing like it! It was raining and freezing but nothing comes between a man and his weapon! ;)

Dad giving a little assistance

Proof that I was on this expedition!

Ben with his new rifle that Papa gave him

"Can you feel the power???"

A boy and his dog, one of my faves!

Boys just want to have fun

2010-10-07T17:17:00.000-07:00

This year Ben requested a BBQ, flag football, baseball, and swimming party. That I can do :)

Are you ready to rumble???

Love this pic! Nothing like a friendly game of football to start things off. And please look at the weather can I just insert how cold it was???

Finding shelter

Had to take our candles into a 'shack' due to high winds lol

The weather thankfully didn't seem to put a damper on their fun

It truly was a great day and a birthday celebration to be remembered!

4 months later....Ben's bday recap!

2010-10-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

Man 11 years go by so quickly! What I wouldn't give to just freeze time.

So it appears here that he might not be so into posing with his bday banner! But he humors me which I appreciate ;)

Let the gift opening begin!

His favorite player hands down so he was stoked about this shirt!

And what did my 11-yr-old want from us??? A build a bear!!! Oh how it thrilled me to take him in there, It shaved years off him being 11 ;) All until I said that the girl he likes had just walked into the store and I saw the panic take place and then he was 11 again :)

His 22 rifle from his Papa, such an amazing gift for my boy!

As I took this picture I had tears in my eyes. Not because my baby was holding a deadly weapon but because I just can't believe what a wonderful young man he is becoming :) I love you Ben with my whole heart!

End of school

2010-09-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

The end of our homeschooling year Ben's only request...please take me fishing. So bright and early in the freezing cold we headed to the lake! I was in awe as I watched my boy fish by himself. Putting on lures, walking along the shore line, and casting like he's done this forever. Where has the time gone?

Makenna's one request at the end of our preschool year....swing me! That I can do :)

ok...ok....ok

2010-09-18T15:59:00.000-07:00

So this is why I suck at blogging! It's been since June and now I'm going back to tell you about the summer for the first time! It's overwhelming all that has taken place and all I need to blog about but here we go!.......

The kids first dip in the lake for the season.....FREEZING!

I love how Brayden is using Makenna as a warmth device!

But fun all the same :)

Love this pic of my girl :)

Our son Ben

2010-07-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

Brandon named our first born Benjamin which means "son of my right hand". I was struck this year as we celebrated his 11th birthday that he really upholds his name. Everything you could ever want or hope for in a child Ben possess. He is good, kind, funny, athletic, intelligent, even tempered, giving....I could go on and on. But beyond all of these character traits he truly has a heart after God. Which makes the bible verse for his name ring even more true, "You have given me your shield of victory, Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great." Ps 18:35. Ben, continue to cling to God for your support as He continues to develop and mold you into a man after His own heart. You make us so very proud each and every day! And we can't wait to see the life God has in store for you unfold before us! Happy Birthday sweet boy xoxoxo

Ben age 11

Its all about baseball!

2010-07-02T23:55:00.001-07:00

Words honestly can't describe how much our lives are about this great American past time! 4 nights a week we are at the ball fields! I love each and every moment of this! These are pics from our bball tournament weekend. Dodgers took 2nd...who hoo!! And my 'little B' played with the big dogs, 11-13 year olds, and totally held his own! My boys couldn't make me more proud on and off the field! I cherish this time watching my boys and can't imagine any place I'd rather be than in the stands cheering them on!

little brother graduates!

2010-06-25T00:05:00.001-07:00

I was so thankful that I was able to go cheer on my little brother Nate at his high school graduation! I was able to make a trip kid-free which an additional bonus! I'm so proud of all your accomplishments Nate and even prouder to be your sister!

(oh and a little food for thought. I realized you know your old when you go to your old high school and someone you graduated with is now a teacher there! Yep reality really sucks!)

Our trip to the ER

2010-06-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

So I am thankful to say this marks Ben's first emergency room visit! By the grace of God this is Ben's first 'real' injury! He was playing hide and seek in forrest with his dad and friends when he tripped over a log. A large piece of the log ended up in his shin. So this is a pic of just the end stinking out but it goes up inside the shin quite a ways. We tugged on it ourselves or I should say Brandon tugged? I was tugging more with my mind :) And when he says, "I think we need to take him to the doctor" I know it's bad lol. So off we went for a nice 5 hour stay. I think Ben said it best after waiting, "there is nothing 'emergency' about this. This will start sprouting in my leg by the time a doctor comes!" But a doctor did come and got him all numb and had to seriously yank that thing out! He was brave and we are just so thankful that this is all we've had to encounter with injuries!

Brandon's birthday

2010-06-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

My birthday boy turned 33! Crazy I tell you! First birthday we celebrated is when he turned 19. Is it even possible we've been together for over 14 years??? Oh how I love this man!

So Brandon had to coach Brayden's team on his bday so I made a bday cake and got quite crafty. Hours of stenciling, cutting marsh mellows for the bases, and sprinkling chocolate into the base line. I was SO proud! That was until Brayden forgot about it under his seat in the car and drug his bat bag through the entire thing! All that was left of the memory of the cake was this picture...

my seriously funny kid!

2010-05-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

You ask anyone about Brayden and they will surely describe at some point how funny he is. He is quirky, charming, and quick on his feet. I'd like to say he takes after me ;) I was thinking about all the stuff this week he's done to make me laugh and I really want to remember it because it such a huge part of who he is! So funny updates on my boy will regularly appear :)

This week Makenna asked Brayden before school, "Brayden do you like yourself?" Brayden replies "Of course I do, what's not to like???" :) Brayden also each and every morning at the breakfast table talks in a Australian accent! Yep every morning! I may have to post a video of this because you can't possibly see the humor otherwise! I awake to, "Well good morning there mommy, how are you today mate?" It's a good mix of Australian and an English accent lol. Oh this boy brightens my days and lightens my heart!

my preschoolers

2010-05-22T18:37:00.001-07:00

I tried starting a blog just about these cute kids but lets be realistic! My Tues and Thurs have been filled with these sweet smiles since Sept and now it's coming to an end. I have to say that this time with my daughter has been priceless. And teaching these young lives about Jesus is truly wonderful! It's been worth the days of the fighting, arguing, and the fact that I've been sick most of the year ;) They truly are an amazing group of kiddos and I count myself blessed!

My favorite picture of our entire school year!

They LOVE park days!
Jenna, Sam, Jack, and Makenna...thanks for letting me be your teacher :)

Ben's hit and one extremely loud mom!

2010-05-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

So this video should come with a warning label! You don't realize how much you talk, how loud your laugh is, or how loudly you cheer until these moments! So consider yourself warned ;)

A boy, his dog, and his fire...

2010-05-19T18:39:00.000-07:00

So this year with Ben being home with me has offered me some amazing moments as a mom and a teacher. This day Ben asked if at his quiet reading time he could make a fire on his own and read by the fire. Mom's only rule is you have to start it the good old fashion way no lighter fluid! So I checked in every few moments through the window but I wanted him to have his victorious man vs wild moment! And he surely did :) I found him with his dog, his book, and his fire....sounds like a good day at school to me!

Spring Break!!

2010-05-18T01:41:00.001-07:00

We had the most amazing spring break! Here is an overview of how we kept ourselves busy!

Haylee and Makenna's first big girl sleepover!

Inside the tent :) They were so cute giggling and laughing. I wish I could've snuck in and recorded their "girl talk"... precious :)

What sleepover isn't complete without a little make over???

The boys got to do this wonderful baseball camp for a week from 9am to 3pm. It was led by the high school coaches and players. It was for 10-13 yr olds and Brayden got ok'd to play with them!
So now is when I get to brag a little! So Brayden got MVP of the camp!! Out of all the kids he was picked! He played amazing! And the coaches couldn't believe he was only 7! He got a special shirt out of the deal that he will be able to fit into sometime maybe in high school ;)

Ben was picked for the allstar game! The coaches called him "clutch" which I think fits him perfectly! He's an amazing player and like we told him after some hurt feelings about the MVP, Brayden is good because you are great!

He rolls with the best of them and I'm so proud to be his mom!

Spent time at dad's work getting the cars ready for the pine wood derby race!
Did I mention it's all about baseball 90% of the time? This is at the ocean playing a little catch!

At the ocean...one of my favorite spots minus the wind :)

Our first night of smores! The best kind of family time is always spent around the fire!

Me and my boy!

Mmmmmm.....spring break just got me ready to enjoy summer!

where to begin...

2010-04-19T16:54:00.001-07:00

So here we are 2 years later! Seriously how does one even pick where to begin? I want so desperately to have all these memories and kick myself that I haven't kept up on this! But I spun the wheel and decided Easter would be a good place to start...

Brayden writing on his 'sin' rock. A fun little tradition I started this year. You write some of your own personal struggles or sins that you know Jesus died for on a rock.....

then throw the rock into the lake as a symbol of Jesus washing our sins away and making us clean. And just like we can't go find our rock once we throw it into the water, Jesus cannot find our sin once we ask Him into our hearts.

Makenna with her rock, she makes props look so cute :)

This year we celebrated Easter with the Georgen family. So this is after the egg hunt in the forest. Brandon just threw eggs amongst the vast forest and sent the kids on their way! They stayed until every one was found!

One cute little egg hunter!

Brandon and I at Easter brunch

Brandon and Makenna

You can tell Ben is digging the photo opt can't you?

Brayden and his best bud Kobey! They are such sweet boys!

Ben and his Bay. These two do nothing but laugh! I love watching their friendship grow!

Easter morning....Ben 10, Makenna 4, Brayden 7

Summer Lovin'

2008-08-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

So this is just the month of July rolled into one blog! I'll never get caught up if I don't do it this way!!

This is one of our favorite beaches down at the lake by our house. The only one with a sandy beach which is great for the kiddos! I love this picture of them :)

We stopped one day at this hot dog stand called Neiner, Neiner, Weiner. I think it's hilarious so I had to take a picture of the joint!

This is when the boys became member of the "Weiner club" thus the stickers on the hands. If you don't know my boys personalities very well this picture sums them both up!!

Nothing like lazy days in the sun! Not a regular occurance here in Washington!!

I took this one day when I had one of those mom moments where I just couldn't wrap my mind around where all the time has gone!! She is getting so grown up and looked so OLD! I just wanted to take a picture so I never take for granted how quickly these days go by!

Her hat from Aunt Shannon! Only Makenna could look so cute in a purple hat!!

This is down at the marina right by our house. The boys love swimming here!

My cute Makenna!

Brayden trying to stay warm!

Nothing like a good game of touch football down at the lake!

Boys baseball season...

2008-08-24T23:03:00.000-07:00

The boys played baseball together this year on the same team! Which was a first, it was SO great! Nothing gives me greater joy than to watch them play! And Brandon coached as well and to see him taking time and investing it into his boys makes my heart overwhelmed!

Brandon giving Brayden a pep talk while he is on deck :)

Brayden did such a great job this season. He was able to play up so the entire team was 9 and 10 year olds and then my cute 5 year old Brayden was out there showing them ALL up! He actually played 1st base! And his batting was amazing! He definitely made us all proud!

He actually only struck out once the entire season!

Proud to say this is the swing that emptied the bases and got Ben a triple! That a boy!!

Ben had a great season as well and played his usual short stop and pitcher. He really is just excelling and improving each year. He has real focus and just a natural ability. The best part is he has such a love for the game! Great season boys! Come spring we'll do it all over again :)

Ben turns 9!!!

2008-07-28T21:07:00.001-07:00

Boy 9 seems unreal! He is getting so grown up! Same sweet Ben just growing into an even sweeter young man!

Brandon explaining the treasure map....

the boys diggin'.....

the pirates found the treasure! (see if you can find Brayden in this picture, LOL)

making their pirate flag!

Ben got his first mountain bike!

He got Heelys!! He has wanted these forever!!

Ok, so here I'm sure he was wondering why he has wanted them forever! It definitely didn't come naturally for him!

Ok good old mom thought 'wouldn't it be SO fun to get the boys boxing gloves?' Now you can see the look on Ben's face here that I may have made a poor choice on this gift...

So note to self....this gives brothers a reason to hit each other!! And 9 years of frustration were unleashed on Brayden during this moment!

Ben happy birthday buddy! We love you so much and you add so many amazing things to our family! Your contagious smile, your giving heart, your concern of others and their feelings, and your sweet and gentle spirit are things that this family can't live without. We are blessed to be able to call you son and brother! We love you xoxoxo

SLC trip....part 2

2008-07-23T04:41:00.000-07:00

Here is the much anticipated second part of our trip, LOL! We stayed with my Dad and Bon for the second week. We did so many great things and I had to just pick a few pictures! We were always busy doing something. We had a wonderful time!

The kids loved this water slide! Makenna more than the boys even. I had to go with her so we went on it together at least 20 times!!

She loves the water as much as her brothers!

The fountains is always free fun! Such a great idea....wish I had them in my backyard!

The kids did this fun art project with Grandma. They painted sun ceramic tiles to decorate Grandma's back yard...they turned out so great!

This night I went to help Bon at work and my dad took all 3 kids to a movie and then back home to make us dinner. He had them help with the menu and took them to get the ingredients. They greeted us at the door and seated us. We did get great service!!

Plus we got super adorable waiters like this one. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone! Thanks dad you did such a great job with the kids!! I have a hard time with all 3 at the movies and he did it with no treats, LOL.

Oh Brayden can always brighten my day!

Do you think he is into this video game?? Quite intense!

After bowling the got to go work their magic at Deal or No Deal. Brayden's a risky kid and would never do well at this show for real :)

We celebrated all 3 kids birthdays since Papa and Grandma won't be here to celebrate with us. They each got their own pinata! Nothing says Happy Birthday like a pinata!!

Makenn's princess crown pinata. She started getting upset that she was hitting it and ruining it so we ended up taking the candy out and it is now hanging in her room, LOL. The difference between boys and girls!!

And they all got to choose their favorite cake for the celebration. Grandma and Sue whipped these up in their free time! I honestly don't know how they do it all!!

Thanks for a great trip and amazing memories....we love you all SO very much!!

SLC trip....part 1

2008-07-08T11:09:00.001-07:00

So this is part one of a two part series. The kids and I went to SLC for two weeks the first week was spent at my mom's and then the second we went to my dad's. So here is the first part of our trip! I had to narrow it down to just a few pics!

The whole fam at Lagoon!

I haven't had this much fun at Lagoon in such a long time! It was perfect weather and Ben can ride ALL the rides and Brayden can ride most so it made it SO much fun!! It was great to have Grandma there for Makenna so I could enjoy my day with the rides too! My brothers set aside the day to spend with us too so it made it that much better for me! :)

Such a great pic! We get this wagon and I think everyone BUT Makenna rode in it :) That is Brooke, Scott's cute girlfriend, and Makenna pushing Scott around.

My adorable kids! They had such a great time with all the rides!

Grandma with the kiddos. I think they got in the hot tub almost every night with her!

Playing video games with Uncle Scott doesn't get much better than that!

All my boys!!

Grandma and Makenna....little miss was having a rough day and just wanted to be held for the entire day! Makes 90 degree weather that much more enjoyable ;)

We love our deck!

2008-06-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

There is nothing better than our deck in the summer! This night we roasted hot dogs and had smores! It is great family time! And much better than camping for me since I still have all the amenities of home..namely a potty!

What, do I have something on my face???

The festivities of this night were too much for these two!

Makenna and her bedtime entourage. She has so many things, babies, and toys that are needed to be with her for this big event that I have no idea how she finds room for herself!!

Brandon turns 31!!

2008-06-26T20:22:00.000-07:00

W0w, is it possible that the 18 year old boy I met 13 years ago could possibly be 31??? Where has the time gone? We have definitely grown up together in a sense but I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else! Happy Birthday Sweetie!!

Our best gifts on any birthday!! (Although that doesn't mean I want to forgo any gifts;) )

She loves her daddy....and he is quite found of his little princess!

Ok, please take note of the birthday cake Brandon ordered for himself. Yes, that is a baseball cake! On the way out of Costco everyone was asking Ben and Brayden if it was their birthday and they kept saying "no its for my dad" with Brandon standing right there with us with a huge grin on his face! Brandon took pride in this special cake!

How does he do it? So many candles so little time! Happy Birthday Brandon! I look forward to many more come!

These boots were made for walking...

2008-06-25T23:42:00.001-07:00

Honestly who doesn't cook like this??? Here in Washington you never know when those rain boots are going to be needed! And yes for all those wondering...she does get this from her mom :)

Victory!!!

2008-06-24T19:22:00.000-07:00

I'm just going to let you soak in the size of that trophy and grin for a minute..... :)

This was the pine wood derby race for Awana. Both boys made a car with their dad. They were identical except for color but somehow Brayden's got the luck of the draw. I really can't tell you who was more excited Brayden or Daddy! Brayden won overall in speed thus the enormous trophy that will have his name engraved. It was a long car ride home for Ben but he was a great sport and I think next year will be his year!!

This ribbon was for Brayden memorizing 33 bible verses this year in Awana. We are so very proud of him and his ability to do this. He truly amazes us!

That is Brayden's car getting ready to race in the blue lane :)

That there is the not so lucky car :( But at least he is still smiling! Plus he has the amazing memories of doing this project with his dad, regardless of the outcome of the race!

And the winner is.....Brayden Stoddard!

Day at the beach...

2008-06-24T12:24:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite spots here is Birch Bay when the tide goes down. The kids run off and explore, dig for clams, find shells and sand dollars, and play in the water. We could stay there for hours! Another one of my current favorite pictures!

She loves having her picture taken! Good thing or she'd really be sick of me by now!!

And they are off!!

She tends to only want to bring home the shells with living creatures still inside!

I've heard of 'Daddy's girl" but I really had no idea!! She absolutely adores him!

Exploring in water with seaweed and slimy things isn't really up my alley but the boys love it!

Digging for those blasted gooey ducks. We haven't caught one yet. They spray water up about 3 feet in the air while you are walking and then the boys start digging. Kind-of scared to see what they actually look like!

Vancouver Aquarium

2008-06-19T23:16:00.001-07:00

So this is the biggest thing we did with Shannon and Jack here. It was SO worth the drive to Canada to do. My boys and their oceanlife, no better combo!

Amazing how close they come to scope you out

Ben seriously took atleast 3o pictures of these dolphins, he was in heaven!!

This would be called "sloth finding" LOL

Ok so I have alot of favorite pics but this one is at the very top of the list!

She has her death grip on Jack because he wants no part of this kind of loving today :)

Ben with the Bulguga whales. He would've been fine if I just left him there for the rest of his life!

Shannon's visit...

2008-05-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

Shannon and Jack's trip here was wonderful! They were here for 2 weeks and we did so many fun things. The weather was crap but the company was lovely!

The four kiddos...shots like this are hard to come by!!

An early morning jam session

He absolutely adores Ben but that isn't hard to do!

One thing Jack and Makenna agree on is how wonderful the park is :)

STRIKE!! Quite the action shot if I do say myself :)

Tub time :) I'm sure these photos will come in useful later in life!

You would never know that they drive each other crazy and drive their mothers to drink!

Thanks for the wonderful trip and for the amazing memories. I love you both xoxoxo

It is so hard to narrow so many pics down to just a few but I'm so behind on this whole blogging thing that I need to start somewhere! I'm finally to April in the middle of June, who hoo!

Easter 08...

2008-05-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

After church we headed to a friends house for dinner and Easter egg hunt....

She loved the idea of looking for eggs with candy inside!!

He was all about this if you couldn't tell!!

I didn't get any pictures of Ben at the Easter egg hunt because he took a less traveled route without any other kids :) Smart kid!!

Resurrection Eggs....

2008-03-26T09:08:00.003-07:00

We had a great time dying eggs together. You know we layed out all the newspaper and threatened the kids with their lives and who was the one to dump out the blue die??? That would be Brandon!!

Ben's school concert

2008-03-26T09:08:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately my camera did not do well in this lighting. So this is the only picture that turned out! Ben did a great job at his singing performance "Music in our school". He really got into it and it was fun to watch the songs he has been singing for weeks around the house!! We all knew the words ;)

2 down a few more to go....

2008-03-22T23:14:00.002-07:00

Another tooth gone!! I'm going to need to get a loan to keep up with our tooth payments!!

Funny Makenna...

2008-03-22T23:13:00.001-07:00

So this story I wasn't sure if I should post about but it is too funny not to and it is something I don't want to forget!! It is a tad embarrassing for me but I'll take one for the team :)
So I am getting out of the shower and Makenna just stops and looks at my chest and says "Wow, mom what are those?". I say "those are breasts remember?" she says, "oh yeah to fed babies right?". I say, "yes sweetie" then in her super excited voice she says,"breasts are so wonderful!". I'm trying not to laugh but am not doing a great job and I say "well I'm glad you think so, you'll have them some day" she clasps her hands together and says, "oh mom I can't wait!!" I died laughing!

A day at the park...

2008-03-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

Honestly this is one of my favorite pictures. Makenna is so blessed to have the two older brothers that she does. No one could ever love her more or take care of her better than them.

Another cute one. They can have great days together like this day or drive each other completely insane! (that is Makenna's hiking injury on her chin, pretty good one too!)

My little cuddlier. Always snuggling in next to me where ever I am! I have to remember to relish these days because soon snuggling won't be at the top of his list anymore.

Toothless Brayden!

2008-03-12T12:59:00.001-07:00

His first lost tooth! Boy was that work! His teeth don't nearly come out with the same ease as Ben's have in the past!! But with a little elbow grease from good ole' mom we are good to go :)
He looks so grown up and I really can't believe how fast he is growing and changing these days!

My Valentines....

2008-03-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

Every Valentines Eve Brandon and I write on paper hearts things that we love about each of our kids. We then put them on their wall so when they wake up they are reminded of how much we love them! I love this tradition and plan on doing it even when they are grown and out of the house ;)

They got these wonderful stuffed animals from Sue :) They love them!

And Grandma came through in a big way with this 3 pound chocolate heart!! Look at his excitement!

I went in and helped in both kids classes. Ben was not so excited when I pulled out the camera in case you couldn't tell.

Brayden and Makenna didn't mind the camera so much, LOL :)

This holiday is right up Brayden's alley. Get candy from your family and friends and get to eat it all day long!! Nothing says love like 3 different kinds of Fun Dips!

First day of school, a tad late!

2008-02-19T21:47:00.002-08:00

So after homeschooling the last year and a half we decided after much prayer that we were going to give public school a go again....
Don't they look handsome???

His officially first day of school ever! He was SO excited!

Makenna was feeling a little left out and kept telling us it was her first day of school too!

So it has been almost a month now and they've done really well with the transition. It is hard for us all to be away from each other all day but thankfully summer is coming soon!!

My basketball star....

2008-02-19T21:47:00.001-08:00

What an amazing season he had! He is so quick on his feet and was so great at rebounding! He has such enthusiasm in all that he does and has such a great attitude. He made us all so proud....

Honestly do you think he could be any more proud of that trophy?? It is is first officially trophy and after seeing all Ben's over the years this was a big day!

He is in complete awe of that trophy :)

Small difference in height wouldn't you say? He rose to the occasion though :)

I believe he stole this ball from his own team mate, LOL

Bowling...

2008-02-19T21:46:00.001-08:00

Look at that form!!

Professionals at heart I tell you!

They are the cutest bowling team I have every seen!

However they did totally kick my butt so obviously they have a tad more skill at this sport than I do!

Our romantic night away....

2008-02-18T17:25:00.000-08:00

We had such a great night away that I really have no words for it. We figured it had been atleast 6 years since having an overnight date, much too long! The view from our room was amazing and the jetted tub was beyond wonderful. My mom stayed with the kids so I didn't feel like I had to hurry home or worry which was great. We went out to a nice dinner and really just enjoyed each others company. This is something we need to start treating ourselves to more often! Thank you to all my family that sent money for my birthday to go towards this spectacular gift!!

My birthday!

2008-01-30T12:28:00.001-08:00

I had a great birthday! This would be my wonderful oreo cheesecake! See all the smoke??? Yeah that is what happens when you turn 29 I guess :)

My cute kiddos that made my day special. The boys even made me breakfast!

Makenna and mommy :)

Our trip to the park for my birthday. We had a good time playing freeze tag!

Ben and me, what an amazing kid!

Se habla espanol...

2008-01-16T15:12:00.001-08:00

So I'm giving her a bath and she hates having her hair washed. I have her under the faucet getting the soap out and she starts yelling "espedia" (not sure how to spell that). I had to go ask the boys what in the world she was saying and they said, "oh that means stop in Spanish". Thanks to Dora we have lots of Spanish moments. We went out to Mexican food last week and she told the waiter "Gracias" and "De Nada". She uses another word that I can't think of now alot and I have no idea what it means, probably a good thing!

Christmas 2007....

2008-01-01T10:26:00.001-08:00

Christmas morning when everything still looked beautiful and clean!

She loves these little critters that come with house sets. They are all tiny and easy to lose but she adores them!

The boys as they opened their matching remote control trucks!

Her cabbage patch doll! Oh did this bring back memories for me! I remember every single one I had growing up. Brandon at one point asked me if the doll was for me or Makenna! But she loves her to death!

Spiderman 3, whoo hoo!

And nothing like a little break to juggle. Thanks to Colin and Jessa we are a circus around here now! :) Colin we are awaiting your private lessons patiently ;)

Christmas Eve....

2008-01-01T10:25:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve was wonderful the kids had a program at church and afterwards we went to the Lights of Christmas, which has become a family tradition since we moved here, so this was our 3rd year doing that. It was such a great night and such a wonderful time together as a family.

Here are my two angels. Makenna would have nothing to do with the idea of putting on the costume until right before it was time to go on stage. Brayden was such a great big brother and stayed right by her side. (She kept waving at us which reminded me so much of myself when I had programs at school!)

They sang this adorable song with hand motions and Makenna actually did all of them too. I thought there would be tears and I'd have to go get her off stage but she really liked all the attention I think! Brayden hated the angel halo idea. I had to tell him it was a super hero halo for him to wear it! It really is all about super powers at this point in his life!

My cute Brayden, such a cuddlier :)

Ben sang with the older kids. I had one of those moments as a mom where I just couldn't believe how grown up he is getting. Standing up there I just remembered when he was wearing the angel wings. It really has gone too fast!

Makenna and her daddy. She loves just being with him no matter what they are doing.

At the lights of Christmas Makenna rode her first horse! Man she has always had a thing for horses but this took the cake for her. After she rode the horse that is all she wanted to do!

I missed the shot of him riding with one arm in the air and leaning back. He definitely spices up anything that he does, heaven forbid he does something "normal"!

And another grown up moment, Ben is now too tall to ride. Last year he fit under the measuring stick they have and this year he is a good 3 inches above it! No wonder his pants are all too short!

This year I didn't have my camera and I borrowed a friends high tech one so these are about the only shots I got which is a bummer but I atleast got a few to share with you.

Date night....

2007-12-28T13:32:00.000-08:00

I took my boys out on a date to dinner and a play the week before Christmas. We went to the Mt Baker Theatre and saw "We danced our best for Him". It was a wonderful play based on the nativity story through dance and music. Ben and Brayden surprised me with 3 roses at the play that they bought themselves. The are so thoughtful and do such wonderful things for me! I've never had two boys fighting for who gets to open my door for me! I will keep the flowers forever so I can always remember our wonderful night together.

So I caved....

2007-12-24T18:24:00.000-08:00

I know, I know she won the battle of the earrings! But really after two boys I was pretty excited myself :) I thought she would back out once we got there but she was SO brave. I told her she could pick out which ones she wanted but she went right for the biggest rock! I told her we had to go smaller so they are small sparkly flowers. She never even flinched when they pierced them all she said was "can I see a mirror?" No tears just thrilled to have her earrings!!
I have to say she looks adorable and so grown up!!! :)

Makenna....

2007-12-19T12:42:00.000-08:00

So after my post about her getting kick out of Sunday school I thought I better write about how stinkin' cute she is too!!
She is talking so well it is really unbelievable. She went from a few words put together to full on sentences. So she is saying the funniest and cutest stuff right now.
At night after we are done with praying and singing she wants to "talk" and she says "Mommy talk about my babies" which means she wants to talk about the pretend babies we saw in store that she wants for Christmas. And she'll talk about how they like to play ring around the rosy, hide and seek, and they like to sing and dance. And she says, "I'm a good mommy". She could go on and on about babies! The other topic is "Mommy talk about my earrings" my little Makenna wants her ears pierced! Everytime I tell her we have to go shopping she asks, "for my earrings?" I would get them pierced if I didn't think after one she would be dead set against getting the other one! And then until age 5 she only has one earring!
So what promted me to write all this is what she said yesterday when I was walking out of her room at nap time. She said "Mom guess what?" and I said, "what Makenna" and she said, "I'm just so proud of you" How cute is that? She is growing and changing so much it is unreal to me. I'm so thankful for her and all she adds to our family and Makenna I'm so proud of you too!!

Our family tree....

2007-12-11T09:31:00.000-08:00

So the picking of the family Christmas tree this year took place where we went last year. Where you walk around pick your tree and then they cut it down for you! Simple concept except for when it was as cold as it was! I'm pretty sure we picked the first tree we saw that wasn't too big!! Brandon pointed to one and I said "Yep, that's perfect!" I can't even tell you with words how cold it was!! Here I am trying to create this memory with the kids that they will remember forever in sub zero weather and about 2 minutes into the tree hunt Brayden says, "Mom this family time is so over! When can we go get the donuts?" Yeah so the highlight for Brayden is when we went into the warm restaurant to eat!! I don't blame him :)

The excitement on her face says it all....

Ben, Brayden, and Grace hiding amoung the trees :)......

We are thankful....

2007-12-05T12:28:00.000-08:00

Our thankful tree! I started this last year where every day we each have to write something we are thankful for on a leaf and add it to the tree. And anyone who comes over before they leave I ask them to write on a leaf too! So here are just a few of my favorite leaves this year

"I am thankful that Jesus gave me a great brother" Brayden
"I am thankful for the house that You provided for us" Ben
"I am thankful for Brayden and his sincere, silly, and spunky spirit that enriches my life each day" Mom
"I am thankful for how much of a blessing my children are" Dad
"I am thankful for my brothers talents that You gave him" Ben
"I am thankful for our parents that are always so willing to help us" Nicole
"I am thankful to have such a wonderful and giving family to spend this day with" Jessa
"I am thankful to have such a great teacher" Brayden (just had to include this one :) )
"I am thankful for Ben and his kind, compassionate, and giving heart that blesses me
daily" Mom
"I am thankful for my beautiful wife Nicole" Brandon (just had to include this one too!)

This is just a little art project that turned out cute. They traced their hands and then in each finger wrote something they are thankful God created them to be.
I am thankful God.....
1. made me smart
2. made me good at football
3. made me kind
4. made me loving
5. made me good at baseball
Ben age 8

1. made me good at math
2. made me nice to others
3. made me a good basketball player
4. made me a good receiver
Brayden age 5

1. made me playful
2. made me a good listener
3. made me helpful
4. made me beautiful
Makenna age 2

Thanksgiving 07

2007-11-27T16:12:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving this year was spent with our good friends Justin and Hannah and their adorable girls. Jessa drove up from Seattle which was so wonderful to have some family here. Hannah is an amazing cook so I felt blessed to have such great food!! This is the "adult" table :)

My boys....Ben got dressed after he saw what Brandon was wearing which I thought was adorable!

The kids table.....

Jessa and me. I'm so thankful God brought Jessa to live so close to us. After so many years apart I feel incredibly blessed to have her a part of days like today and creating memories together!

Jessa has always had a few moves up her sleeve and today was no exception :)))

It was freezing outside while the boys fried our turkey so I served them up some of a frozen creation to help out a little , the straws were extra :)))

Kicked out of Sunday School...

2007-11-27T15:52:00.001-08:00

Yep, that's right this cute fairy princess was officially kicked out of her Sunday school class. Ok I'm being a tad harsh but I was told she was kind-of a "bully" to the crawlers and being a "typical 2-year-old" and just needed a little more "structure". Looking at this picture you'd have no idea she was a bully but I wasn't too shocked. I definately have my hands full now and in the years to come! But she is SO cute! I just had to share so that I could remember these fun things motherhood gives you :)

Ben's football career :)

2007-09-29T14:09:00.001-07:00

Ok so time for me to brag! Ben had a great football season!! He played QB, safety, and running back. He made 8 interceptions and ran 2 of those for a touchdown!! He had so many great plays that I can't even list them all.... But I do know that he made is mom and dad VERY proud!

He is so focused and in the "zone" that it really was amazing to watch! His coach always said that he loved watching Ben play because when he was safety Ben was pretty much just awaiting the interception and that he could hear him saying, "I dare you to make the pass!"

Brandon and I are SO looking forward to sitting in the stands in our blankets watching our kids play in high school! I know it is a little bit down the road but it is never too early to start wearing a matching jersey is it???

10 year anniversary....

2007-09-29T14:08:00.001-07:00

Brandon, I look back at our wedding pictures and see two young kids who's love was definitely there but there is a "depth" that hadn't been discovered yet. We've grown and matured so much in the last 10 years, we are no longer those young kids (I guess my gray hair and your disappearing hair are enough proof of that!) Our love has endured much heart ache and hard ship and life definitely hasn't been handed to us on a silver platter. But isn't that what makes love, defines it, molds and shapes it, and eventually makes it beautiful? Just as our individual lives must be tried so must our lives together. We've stood with the Lord and with Him we continue to climb the mountain He has set before us. Each step and each turn is not like the one before. Each step gets us closer toward His ultimate vision for our marriage. As we travel together lets not get caught up in the upward climb but take time to enjoy the scenery around us and always keep our eyes fixed on the prize. And one of these years after traveling long and hard we will get to the top of the mountain and we will sit and enjoy the beautiful sunset. Thank you for standing by me, guiding me, and sometimes following me because that that truly is an example of the "depth" of our love that we once did not have 10 years ago. To my best friend, thank you for the last 10 years and for the many more that are to come. I love you and I'll see you at the top! xoxoxox

family pic

2007-09-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

While Shannon was here we were able to get a family picture! Now family members if you see this same picture in a frame at Christmas still act surprised ;)

Aunt Shannon and Jack

2007-09-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you have 2 best friends that love taking pictures??? Well lets just say we took over 600 pictures of our kids together! So I narrowed down the bunch to just a few! Thank goodness for digital cameras. :)

We had such a great visit with Shannon and Jack. It was so great to have all our kids together, most days :))) Makenna and Jack could be so wonderful and cute with each other and then completely wanting to hurt each other the next. It is definitely a love hate relationship!! This was a cute moment until Jack wanted out of the stroller and makenna wouldn't get off of him :)

These boys couldn't be better friends. I can't wait to see what God does in their relationship as they get older.

Such a gentleman! And what great taste in shoes she has!!!

Our precious Jack! Not only do you get chocolate cake at Aunt "Cole's" but he also got his first smore :)

2 stylin' chicks....

A definite cute moment! Probably because the play ground wasn't Makenna's or Jack's personal play ground. So no "mine" was taking place :)

The clan! They all love each other so much :)

Makenna turns 2

2007-09-26T13:06:00.001-07:00

The hat was the theme for the day :) Our little princess turned 2!! She was all about the presents this year which was so fun. She picked going to the park and then getting pizza. The park was way fun because it had water fountains and she loved that! Shannon and Jack were here to celebrate with us so it made the day even more special!

Loves, loves, loves the grocery cart!! Her babies always go along with her on her grocery trips. Funny her babies are much better shoppers than mine are!!

My birthday girl in her birthday outfit! Oh how I love having a girl :)))

These would be her shopping shoes. She obviously doesn't dress for comfort! They must be worn while she pretend shops :)

This is what she eventually decided worked best to open presents, when all else fails use your teeth!! I may borrow this tactic come January :)

Happy Birthday our sweet Makenna. Our lives would not be complete without you. You add so much joy to your dads and my life. You completed a part of my heart that I didn't even know wasn't filled yet. The moment I looked into your eyes I knew my life and heart was changed forever. Having a daughter has enriched our lives forever and we will forever be thankful to the Lord for the gift He gave us when He gave us you. We love you sweetheart xoxoxox

Ichiro or Brayden???

2007-09-20T16:18:00.000-07:00

And Ichiro steps up to the plate....

Have to say this is one cute Ichiro!! These were just too cute not to put on here :)

The Fair

2007-09-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

So this ride I got suckered into somehow. I underestimated the intensity of this ride from the ground. Years of therapy and the boys should be fine ;)

She absolutely loved this ride with daddy!

This is a must have picture at any fair :)

The boys took a step down and decided to head to kiddy land after I scarred them for life on the 'ring of death' LOL. Puff the magic dragon was a much better choice :)

Canada air show

2007-08-25T11:50:00.001-07:00

This turned out to be a Dad's day with his boys. They had such a great time and talked about it for days! Apparently it is really cool when air planes are so loud that you have to wear ear plugs, I had no idea!!

I definately think this will be a tradition each year for Brandon with his boys! I guess I'll just never truly understand the wonder of the speed of sound ;)

The BIG 5!!!

2007-08-19T15:32:00.001-07:00

Brayden's birthday started with him singing to himself as he came to wake me up. We were then onto presents, lunch with daddy, sprinklers, and swimming all before dad got home from work! It was a day that much caffeine was required to keep up with Brayden!!

Pirates swim shorts bring out the muscles you never knew you had!

Mariners jersey with his favorite Ichiro number 51. Along with matching shorts and hat!! Brayden was in heaven!!!

New bike since mom hit his other one while backing up! It was too small for him anyways now that he is riding without training wheels! He loved that it is red, his favorite color, and has lightening bolts.

Brayden we love you and love all that you add to our family. You brighten our days and always put a smile on our face. You have such a great sense of humor! I love your cuddles on the couch and when you sing songs in the car. You have such enthusiasm in ALL that you do. Thank you for all that you are and I pray God will continue to teach and guide you in His ways.

Happy Birthday Sweetie!! xoxoxox

What's your middle name???

2007-08-08T16:56:00.000-07:00

Right now Makenna thinks every one's middle name is Nicole like her. When she gets upset with Ben or Brayden it is "Ben Cole" or "B Cole". It even works for mommy and daddy. She is constantly saying "Daddy Cole" when he won't stop tickling her. Or "Mommy Cole" when I go to wash her hair. It is quite funny now not sure how funny it will be as she gets older!

A day at the beach

2007-08-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

We headed to the beach after church on Sunday and took a picnic. It was such a beautiful day and we had such a great time as a family. Moments like these remind me of how truly blessed we are to live in such a beautiful place.

Ben is officially the first one to swim in the ocean. The cold water has no effect on him! I think I'll just continue taking pictures from the shore :)

Brayden was all about climbing, go figure! He is still my "monkey man". Never a dull moment when he is around!! After our fun day at the beach and headed down to the baseball diamond by our house for a family game of baseball!

A day with cousins!

2007-08-07T12:11:00.000-07:00

It was so great to see Corby and Kerryn and their boys Carter and Kooper. We had a nice time on the beach visiting while the boys threw rocks in the ocean. The boys are all so close in age and she is now expecting a little girl that will be close to Makenna's age. It makes me wish we lived closer so they could grow up together because they had such a great time playing together!

Brayden's big summer

2007-08-07T12:00:00.001-07:00

So far in the last 3 months Brayden has learned to ride his bike without training wheels, swim without floaties, and tie his shoes! He catches on to things so quickly! He does all these things now like he always knew how!

Daddy's little girl

2007-07-31T20:03:00.001-07:00

I first of all just love this picture so I had to share it with everyone. I love the way Makenna loves her daddy but what I love even more is the way Brandon loves his little girl. They have a bond that is priceless and I hope this picture captures that.

Just singing in the rain....

2007-07-29T17:12:00.000-07:00

Nothing better than jumping in puddles after in has been raining for 7 days straight!! Yep that is living in the Northwest for ya!! ;)

Brayden and Makenna are starting to really play together now. Where he doesn't get put out by having to "watch" her but is actually asking to play with her. I love how my kids interact with each other and love each other. These pictures will always remind me of that. I'm sure I'll have to look back at these pictures here shortly when I'm ripping my hair out because of how much they are fighting. But for today I'll just pretend this is how they always are with each other! And Makenna is once again sporting her green gum, go figure!

Butchart Gardens

2007-07-26T16:16:00.001-07:00

What an amazing place out in Victoria. All the flower were in bloom and it truly was amazing. We will definately go back, it was well worth the trip! What the boys will remember about the trip is the garden snake they found, such boys!

Oh Canada

2007-07-24T19:01:00.001-07:00

So we headed across the boarder this time with birth certificates, for those of you who don't know that story it is a good one! We caught a ferry and headed to Victoria. It was a beautiful city with incredible buildings and harbors. The kids got right into the Canadian spirit as you can see!! (For those of you that can't make out the picture the kids are sporting a joker type Canada hat with jingle bells on the ends. A must have for every tourist)

Uncle Scott

2007-07-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

Well it took about 5 minutes from the time Scott got here for my boys to start wearing their hats backwards and only tucking in half their shirt in the front. My boys love Scott and pretty much want to do whatever he does. They now love tennis but prior to the visit had no clue that it was even considered a sport. They would fight to be the one who got to wake Scott in the mornings, he LOVED this!!! :))) Makenna played hard to get this trip and was either all over Scott or not giving him the time of day, I'm sure he is used to this from girls :) He was wonderful with them and it is no wonder they want to be just like him!